The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Announces Formation of Gold Corporate Council to Further Foundation's Mission of Humanism in Healthcare
Five healthcare leaders -- BD, Henry Schein, IBM Watson Health, Medtronic and Quest Diagnostics -- come together to help advance mission
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arnold P. Gold Foundation announced today the formation of its Gold Corporate Council, composed of corporate healthcare leaders that will collaborate and support efforts to further the Foundation's mission of humanism in healthcare.
The council represents some of the world's foremost healthcare companies and a diversity of businesses within that industry. The five founding members are: BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Henry Schein, Inc., IBM Watson Health, Medtronic and Quest Diagnostics.
"We applaud these healthcare leaders for coming together to form the landmark Gold Corporate Council and elevate the importance of the human connection in healthcare," said Richard I. Levin, MD, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer. "As technology becomes more complex and scientific advancement accelerates, it is critical to ensure that the humanistic qualities of healthcare remain integral throughout the practice of medicine."
Humanism in healthcare recognizes compassion, collaboration and scientific excellence as central to optimal patient care and lower healthcare costs. While acknowledging the critical role of rapid technological advances, humanism focuses on listening, open communication, empathy and a compassionate bedside manner as fundamental to diagnosing and treating illness. A humanistic approach acknowledges that good health is created together with the patient in an environment of safety and trust. Studies show that a humanistic approach is associated with better clinical outcomes,1,2 higher rates of patient satisfaction,3 reduced costs4,5 and reduced physician burnout.6,7
The Gold Corporate Council members have committed to adopting humanistic policies and procedures within their own organizations and to partnering with the Gold Foundation to impact change across the broader community. The founding member companies have committed to a three-year term on the council. Quest Diagnostics will serve as the council's initial corporate chair.
The council will collaborate with the Gold Foundation to extend the reach of its programs, such as its White Coat Ceremony. This rite of passage, held predominantly at medical and nursing schools, takes place during the initial days of training to underscore the value of humanism as the core of clinical care from the very start.
Council members will also facilitate expansion of humanism in healthcare deeper within their own organizations.
For example, Quest will be incorporating a Gold Foundation program called Tell Me More® into its organization. Quest's goal is to provide a superior experience every day in every interaction. The Tell Me More® program was originally designed by medical interns to strengthen the critical human bond that exists between people who are patients and the individuals who care for them. Tell Me More® enables patients and caregivers to get to know each other beyond their diagnoses and job descriptions.
"Tell Me More® is a great example of how we can actively place patients at the core of our work to help us deliver customer and patient-focused every day excellence in every interaction," said Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quest Diagnostics.
"The Gold Foundation is thrilled to work in partnership with these healthcare leaders representing multiple disciplines who share our vision in patient care," said Dr. Levin. "We look forward to sharing ideas and jointly developing programs that achieve our common goals for quality, cost-effective and humanistic healthcare."
ABOUT THE GOLD FOUNDATION
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation is a nonprofit organization leading the way to protect the human connection in healthcare. Its mission, to keep healthcare human, is changing the culture of healthcare education and practice across the United States and beyond. Over the past 30 years, the Foundation has focused on making compassionate, collaborative, scientifically excellent care the Gold Standard of healthcare. More recently, through innovative programs like Tell Me More® and its Research Institute, the Gold Foundation is advancing humanism in all facets of healthcare by disseminating important discoveries and advocating for patient-centric care. For more information, please visit gold-foundation.org.
ABOUT BD
BD is a global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. BD leads in patient and health care worker safety and the technologies that enable medical research and clinical laboratories. The company provides innovative solutions that help advance medical research and genomics, enhance the diagnosis of infectious disease and cancer, improve medication management, promote infection prevention, equip surgical and interventional procedures, and support the management of diabetes. The company partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. BD has nearly 50,000 associates across 50 countries who work in close collaboration with customers and partners to help enhance outcomes, lower health care delivery costs, increase efficiencies, improve health care safety and expand access to health. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com.
ABOUT HENRY SCHEIN, INC.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. The company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the S&P 500® and the Nasdaq 100® indexes, Henry Schein employs more than 21,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than 1 million customers. The company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 120,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 180,000 additional products available as special-order items. The company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 32 countries. The company's sales reached a record $11.6 billion in 2016, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 15 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at: www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein and @HenrySchein on Twitter.
ABOUT IBM WATSON HEALTH
In April 2015, IBM launched the Watson Health business unit to help doctors, researchers, drug and device makers and other healthcare stakeholders accelerate innovation, deepen expertise and expand their knowledge base by surfacing insights from the massive amount of clinical, scientific, genetic and personal health data being created and shared daily. The Watson Health portfolio offers a growing number of offerings across five key health market segments and is successfully working with businesses, health systems and governments worldwide to help solve pressing healthcare challenges and scale the use of cognitive computing technology across developing regions and mature markets. For more information on IBM Watson Health, visit: ibm.com/watsonhealth/.
ABOUT MEDTRONIC
Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 84,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in approximately 160 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.
ABOUT QUEST DIAGNOSTICS
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 43,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. For more information, please visit www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
References
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2 Kelley JM, Kraft-Todd G, Schapira L, Kossowsky J, Riess H (2014) The influence of the patient-clinician relationship on healthcare outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS ONE. 2014; 9(4) e94207
3 Pollak KI, Alexander SC, Tulsky JA, et al. Physician empathy and listening: Associations with patient satisfaction and autonomy. J Am Board Fam Med. 2011;24(6):665-672.
4 Epstein RM et al. Patient-centered communication and diagnostic testing. Ann Fam Med. 2005;3(5):415-421
5 Levinson W et al. Physician-patient communication: The relationship with malpractice claims among primary care physicians and surgeons. JAMA. 1997;277(7):553-559.
6 Yu H, Jiang A, Shen J. Prevalence and predictors of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction among oncology nurses: A cross-sectional survey. Int J Nurs Stud. 2016;57:28-38.
7 Bossy A, Windover AK, Bokar D, et al. Communication skills training for physicians improves patient satisfaction. J Gen Intern Med. 2016. Jul;31(7):755-61.
Media Contact:
Brianne Alcala
Director of Communications
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
[email protected]
Direct: 201-308-6920
Main: 201-567-7999
SOURCE The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
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