Has a Caregiver Made a Difference in Your Life?

Have you received compassionate care from a nurse, a doctor, a social worker, an aide, a hospital patient transporter, or anyone else? Have they offered a comforting word, held your hand, remembered an important detail of your life, or lingered when they needed to be somewhere else? Have you wanted to show your appreciation, but weren’t sure how, or simply never got around to it? Now comes the appeal, and I hope you will interpret this not as shameless self interest, but rather as a request for a cause I am passionate about.

The Kenneth B. Schwartz Center, the nonprofit I am the executive director of, has devised a way to say “thank you” to exceptional caregivers, through our Honor Your Caregiver program. By paying tribute to this person, you are also helping advance compassionate care, what the Center is all about.

To participate, all you have to do is send a donation of your choice to the Schwartz Center, and we will send that person a very handsome certificate and include his or her name on a caregiver honor roll that appears on the Schwartz Center Web site and in two upcoming newsletters. Click here to donate and be sure to write the name of the caregiver in the space that says “Honor Roll: In honor of a compassionate caregiver,” and include his/her address in the spaces that follow.

And for inspiration, watch this video about singer-songwriter Jason Crigler’s long journey back to health after suffering a brain hemorrhage while performing. He tells his story at Schwartz Center Rounds, a program taking place at 182 hospitals and health care facilities across the country. Rounds help caregivers process the difficult emotions that come up in their daily work, an important step toward better connections with patients. Jason knows the power of compassionate care and urges support of the Schwartz Center.

Julie Rosen, Executive Director, The Kenneth B. Schwartz Center

The Kenneth B. Schwartz Center, an organization dedicated to strengthening the relationship between clinical caregivers and patients, offers helpful tips and resources for patients and families, Stories of Inspiration, and a chance to share your own story at Compassionate Connections in Healthcare on CarePages.