Richard T. Penson
Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
Title: Schwartz Center Rounds: fostering compassion, communication, and teamwork
Biography
Biography: Richard T. Penson
Abstract
Schwartz Center Rounds® are a multidisciplinary forum where clinicians discuss difficult ethical, psychosocial and communication issues that arise in oncology with the goal of encouraging engagement, beating burnout and investing in the patient-caregiver relationship. Rounds were initiated at the MGH Cancer Center in 1997 and have since grown to include multiple sites in many cancer centers nationwide. Schwartz Center Rounds® increase insight into broader aspects of care, increase teamwork, enhance compassion, and provide a non-judgmental and safe place to discuss challenging issues. They decrease feelings of stress and isolation and reconnect staff with their call to serve those in need, in the face of inevitable loss and suffering. Formal evaluation suggests that Rounds® may enhance compassion, professional support, communication, teamwork, and have resulted in institutional changes that enhance patient care and safety. Schwartz Center Rounds® demonstrate a tangible commitment to the adage ‘never worry alone’, and supports us in our love for what we do, and loving those with whom we work.