Public Media to offer free screening of acclaimed documentary on mental health at Geisinger Commonwealth

VIA Public Media and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s (GCSOM) Behavioral Health Initiative will offer a free screening of the documentary God Knows Where I Am on Wednesday, May 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the GCSOM auditorium at 525 Pine Street in Scranton. The public is invited to attend the screening and participate in the community conversation about mental health issues that will occur following the film. Details, directions and free reservations are available here.

God Knows Where I Am is the story of Linda Bishop, a well-educated New Hampshire mother who suffered from severe bipolar disorder with psychosis. Intermittently incarcerated and homeless, she was committed to a state psychiatric facility. Linda was able to refuse treatment and medication and procure an early release, despite the lack of post release planning. She broke into an abandoned farmhouse and lived on rainwater and apples picked from a nearby orchard through one of the coldest winters on record, eventually starving to death. Her body was discovered several months later and with it a diary that Linda kept documenting her harrowing journey. The diary – and the documentary – are poignant, beautiful, spiritual and deeply disturbing.

VIA Senior Vice President Chris Norton will moderate the discussion featuring panelists Leighton Huey, MD, associate dean, professor of psychiatry and director of Behavioral Health for Geisinger Northeast, and Jeri McNulty, a community member with lived experience. God Knows Where I Am is a testament to the artistic and independent spirit of Linda Bishop, but the film also raises questions of social justice. What does it mean to live in the most powerful country on earth, when our society fails to protect those who cannot protect themselves?  

About Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) is a member of the Geisinger family. GCSOM offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Danville, Lewistown, Scranton, Sayre and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a portfolio of graduate degrees. The school’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its region, as well as from across the state and the nation. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. Visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.  Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.