Schwartz Center Announces New Collaboration with Patient Advocacy Organizations on National Award Program

BOSTON, Feb. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a national leader in the movement to strengthen and sustain the human connection at the heart of healthcare, today announced a collaboration with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and American Diabetes Association (ADA) to identify and honor healthcare professionals from across the country who demonstrate excellence in compassionate care for patients and families.

Representatives from ACS and ADA will join a national review committee for the National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year (NCCY) Award program, which is responsible for selecting six 2017 NCCY Award finalists. Individuals and teams that work directly with patients in any U.S. healthcare setting are eligible. Nominees may include physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, psychologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nursing assistants, home health aides and chaplains, in addition to interdisciplinary teams of caregivers.

"In these uncertain times, the importance of compassion in healthcare has never been more relevant to healthcare professionals and patients alike," said Ruth Kilduff, RN, Schwartz Center board chair and chair U.S. operations, Integro Insurance Brokers. "We are thrilled to be partnering with the American Cancer Society and American Diabetes Association to help uncover the stories of these amazing caregivers, and celebrate their dedication to collaborative, compassionate patient care."

Nominations are now being accepted through March 31, 2017. The award recipient will be announced at the 22^nd Annual Kenneth B. Schwartz Compassionate Healthcare Dinner, where all finalists will be honored on Nov. 16, 2017, in Boston.

"As healthcare leaders, it must be our mission to strengthen and sustain the human connection. The Schwartz Center, a leader in creating a culture of compassion and putting caregivers on the map, lights the way," said last year's award recipient, Randi Kaplan, LMSW, co-founder and director of the Arthur D. Emil Caregiver Support Center at Montefiore Health System in New York. "Receiving this award is truly one of the highlights of my professional journey. My colleagues and I are proud and honored to be advancing this discussion and celebrating the crucial role of compassionate care."

The NCCY Award is made possible through the generous support of Optum. More information about the award and nomination process is available at: theschwartzcenter.org/award.

About the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare

Established in 1995, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a leader in the movement to strengthen and sustain the human connection at the heart of healthcare, was founded on the belief that greater compassion and more meaningful collaboration are fundamental to the kind of care clinicians want to deliver and patients want to receive.

The Schwartz Center is an independent, non-profit organization, with more than 425 healthcare members in the U.S., Canada and Australia, supporting 200,000 healthcare professionals each year. In partnership with the Point of Care Foundation, more than 150 organizations conduct the innovative Schwartz Rounds^TM program in the U.K., which unites caregivers from a range of disciplines to share experiences, learn from each other and focus on the human dimension of medicine. Schwartz Center members rely on programs, education and resources to support clinician well-being, enhance the quality of care, enable better outcomes and create a more positive and rewarding experience for all members of the care team, patients and their families. The Center's inaugural Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference (compassioninactionconference.org) will be held in Boston during June 25-27, 2017. It will bring together clinicians, patients and families, health system leadership and others to advance organizational cultures based on compassion and collaboration. Registration for the conference is now open.

To help patients and family members acknowledge caregivers who epitomize the qualities of compassionate care, the Schwartz Center established the Honor Your Caregiver program. Through its National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year Award, the Center celebrates healthcare professionals who display extraordinary devotion and compassion in caring for patients and families.

Visit us at theschwartzcenter.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

SOURCE The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare

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