Helen Meldrum

Internationally renowned Dr. Helen Meldrum, educator and consultant, is an associate professor of psychology at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts where she directs the program in Health and Industry. Prior to joining the Bentley faculty, she was an associate professor of psychology and communication at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Meldrum has taught in graduate programs at Babson College, the University of Rhode Island and Northeastern University. Areas of expertise include interpersonal and group dynamics, adherence, customer service, psychology of adulthood, dealing with difficult people, mental health services, communicating about sensitive issues, conflict management and presentation skills. Meldrum has a particular strength in teaching “teaching skills,” having facilitated many train-the-trainer programs in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Israel.

Meldrum received her doctorate from The Hiatt School of Psychology and Education at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. She holds a master’s in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University, where she also did advanced graduate work in human development. Her B.S. is from Emerson College in Boston, where she concentrated in Communication Education and Psychology.

Helen has addressed a wide variety of groups across the country and internationally. Her articles, interviews, editorials and reviews have appeared in many publications, including USA Today, The Wall St. Journal, BBC World Radio, The International Journal of Clinical Leadership, The Physician Executive, Journal of Medical Management, Encyclopedia of Health Communication. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal. Her book, “Interpersonal Communication in Pharmaceutical Care,” has been widely adopted. Her text, “Provider-Patient Partnerships,” was written with Mary Hardy, M.D. Her newest book is titled “Characteristics of Compassion: Portraits of Exemplary Physicians.”

Active as a consultant, clients have included: Bayer, Glaxo,  Humana, Cigna, Beth Israel Hospital, Abbott Labs, Prudential, Merck, NYU Medical Center, U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical System, Genesis, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Harvard Risk Management Foundation, Florida Assoc. of Family Physicians, Blue Cross, Toronto Children’s Hospital, Belleview Hospital, Walter Reed Medical Ctr., Physicians for Women’s Health, Young and Rubicam, Saatchi & Saatchi, Aetna, Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators and Pfizer.

Meldrum has co-authored more than 20 media scripts for training professionals and has appeared as an expert commentator. Academic presentations include addresses on treatment protocols for the A.Ph.A., communicating about risk for the USP and teaching physicians to talk about care plans for the conference on Communication & Medicine at Oxford University, U.K. She won the Researcher of the Year award from the ILA  in 2012. Bentley University awarded her an Innovation in Teaching Award in 2015. Meldrum held the post of Senior Vice President, Listening in Science Division on the Global Listening Board for the past several years. At last year’s (2022) Global Listening Festival, her presentation was awarded the “Best Paper Presentation” in the field of healthcare.