A Message From Elizabeth Hickman
Dear Friends,
The past few years have brought new urgency to supporting the well-being of the healthcare workforce so that they can provide compassionate care to patients and families. We know that healthcare workers are facing ongoing challenges, from staffing shortages to workplace violence to burnout and more. With nearly three decades of experience supporting, educating and training hundreds of thousands of professional caregivers, we are uniquely positioned to meet the evolving needs of our healthcare community.
Thanks to support from our donors, we were able to enhance our programs and resources, including Virtual Schwartz Rounds®, Trauma-Informed Facilitation Skills Training, Stress First Aid, our Mental Health and Well-being Resource Page, Compassion in Action Webinar Series, and the Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference.
We know that approximately 60% of health workers experience burnout. They are exhausted and stretched thin at best – and at worst they are anxious, depressed and suffering from traumatic stress. We have to change the system for caregivers to thrive and provide the best possible care to patients and families. That’s why we’ve launched the Healing Healthcare Initiative (HHI). This pilot initiative will guide leaders to reimagine how the workplace can better support their health workers’ well-being, so they can focus on delivering equitable, compassionate patient care. HHI is focused on solutions, not silos – by supporting and empowering healthcare leaders with resources and tools to ensure that their organization, workforce, and patients can thrive. We need to heal our health system so that health workers can heal their patients.
We are deeply grateful to our healthcare member community for their resilience and commitment to delivering compassionate care, and to our loyal donors for enabling us to provide these urgently needed resources.
Thank you for joining us in our vision to create a world where all who seek and provide care experience compassion. Our work has never been more important, and the impact of your support has never been more meaningful.
Elizabeth Hickman, Interim CEO & COO
OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE
The Healing Healthcare Initiative
Everyone has a role to play in improving the health of our nation. With HHI, we’re building a community of collaboration among health leaders and workers to learn best practices from one another and drive long-term sustainable systems change. HHI will help healthcare leaders and health workers to better align human values with operational priorities, in order to create the changes that organizations and their workforces need to thrive.
Our Impact
34,440+ caregivers, representing 50 states and 39 countries, viewed our Compassion in Action Webinar Series.
Our programs and resources are utilized by caregivers across the country and around the world.
600+ sites across the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand are Schwartz Center members, with another 280+ sites running our Schwartz Rounds program through our partner in the U.K. and Ireland.
90% of caregivers who attended multiple Schwartz Rounds reported better communication with their co-workers.
86% of caregivers who attended multiple Schwartz Rounds reported feeling more compassionate toward patients and families.
Healthcare Organizations We Support
Our vision is a world where all who seek and provide healthcare experience compassion.
NATIONAL COMPASSIONATE CAREGIVERS OF THE YEAR
The National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year® Award recognizes extraordinary healthcare professionals from across the country who embody the characteristics of compassionate care and whose professional achievements have helped to create healing healthcare environments for patients, families, colleagues, and communities. To learn more, visit our NCCY page.
CORMAN IMPACT HONORS
The Corman IMPACT Honors celebrates Schwartz Center healthcare members who are making a transformational impact by creating programs or initiatives that promote compassionate, collaborative care within their organization or system.
We know that leading by example is the most effective way to inspire others to make compassionate care a priority and we want to recognize our healthcare members who are doing that. To learn more, visit our Corman IMPACT page.
Mental Health and Well-being Resources
34,180+ caregivers accessed our mental health and well-being resources page.
This page shares resources and information to help caregivers and healthcare leaders manage the stress and anxiety they are experiencing.
One popular resource was our special webinar series featuring leading practitioners and researchers. You are invited to watch the recorded webinars and sign up for upcoming sessions.
Donor Spotlight
Mintz Levin and Steve Weiner
Schwartz Center founder Kenneth B. Schwartz had been an attorney at Mintz Levin before his untimely death. Ken established the organization during his illness as he came to understand the critical importance of the connection between caregiver and patient.
Since the Schwartz Center’s inception nearly 30 years ago, Ken’s colleagues at Mintz have provided pro bono legal support to the organization. The firm provides assistance on legal matters ranging from contracts to intellectual property protection, and beyond. They have been critical in enabling the Schwartz Center to expand our programs and resources to healthcare organizations around the world. Ken’s colleagues were also among the founding Schwartz Center Board members, including Peter Biagetti and Tony Starr.
Mintz Levin and Steve Weiner
Schwartz Center founder Kenneth B. Schwartz had been an attorney at Mintz Levin before his untimely death. Ken established the organization during his illness as he came to understand the critical importance of the connection between caregiver and patient.
Since the Schwartz Center’s inception nearly 30 years ago, Ken’s colleagues at Mintz have provided pro bono legal support to the organization. The firm provides assistance on legal matters ranging from contracts to intellectual property protection, and beyond. They have been critical in enabling the Schwartz Center to expand our programs and resources to healthcare organizations around the world. Ken’s colleagues were also among the founding Schwartz Center Board members, including Peter Biagetti and Tony Starr.
Ken Schwartz’s friend and Mintz colleague, Steve Weiner, helped found the Schwartz Center and served as the organization’s legal counsel until the end of 2022. Steve is the founding chair of Mintz’s Health Law Practice. When he retired in 2022, he had more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare field as a policy maker, educator, and attorney, having played critical roles in the development of Massachusetts’s healthcare reform program and in implementing the initiative to create a statewide electronic health record system.
Steve has a long record of non-profit engagement, including board roles with the Boston Ballet, The American Lyric Theater, Boston University School of Law Center for Law and Health Sciences, Beth Israel Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and many more. Yet no organization has benefited more from his dedication and expertise than the Schwartz Center.
Steve was instrumental in guiding the launch of the Schwartz Center’s membership program which has grown to represent nearly 50% of our revenue. He also supported fundraising on a personal level, serving as a dinner chair and acting as a volunteer solicitor during our capital campaign. He has been steadfast in protecting Ken Schwartz’s vision, while also advocating for the organization to grow and expand.
The Schwartz Center is deeply grateful for Mintz’s support and Steve’s dedication and vision. We wish him the best in his retirement.
Donor Spotlight
Marsh McLennan
Marsh McLennan is a global professional services firm with a strong base in corporate social responsibility. Their commitment to building a stronger, more resilient world makes them an ideal strategic partner for the Schwartz Center.
“At Marsh McLennan, our colleagues are empowered to lean in and come together around common interests, to make a difference in our communities in the moment that matters,” says Marsh’s Managing Director Ethan Crain. “The work the Schwartz Center does to support healthcare professionals in delivering collaborative, compassionate healthcare that also works to create a more sustainable healthcare worker experience aligns with the way we feel about community. These moments matter. At Marsh McLennan, we are proud to support and be part of the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare’s story.”
Marsh McLennan
Marsh McLennan is a global professional services firm with a strong base in corporate social responsibility. Their commitment to building a stronger, more resilient world makes them an ideal strategic partner for the Schwartz Center.
“At Marsh McLennan, our colleagues are empowered to lean in and come together around common interests, to make a difference in our communities in the moment that matters,” says Marsh’s Managing Director Ethan Crain. “The work the Schwartz Center does to support healthcare professionals in delivering collaborative, compassionate healthcare that also works to create a more sustainable healthcare worker experience aligns with the way we feel about
community. These moments matter. At Marsh McLennan, we are proud to support and be part of the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare’s story.”
Marsh McLennan has supported the Schwartz Center both through philanthropy, including their participation in the National Business Membership program, and through strategic advice, including their involvement with our new Healing Healthcare Initiative (HHI) pilot.
As National Business Members, Marsh McLennan joins an exclusive group of corporate supporters who provide essential philanthropic support while having the opportunity to make connections with leading thinkers from all sectors of healthcare and demonstrate a strong commitment to compassionate care and the healthcare community.
One of Marsh McLennan’s subsidiary companies, Oliver Wyman, is a key part of the Schwartz Center’s new HHI pilot. HHI is a senior leadership team education and support program designed to create lasting organizational change. HHI will guide healthcare leaders to reimagine how the workplace can better support their health workers’ well-being, so they can focus on delivering equitable, compassionate patient care. The program offers unparalleled access to resources and leading experts, including implementation mentorship from strategy consultants at Oliver Wyman.
Oliver Wyman consultants have also co-authored several articles with Schwartz Center CMO Beth Lown, including: “In Healthcare, Who Works For Whom” and “How Compassion Can Help Address Healthcare Worker Burnout.”
Thanks to their commitment to the healthcare community, Marsh McLennan continues to be a valued partner in supporting health workers now and in the challenging days ahead, and we are grateful for their ongoing support.
To learn more about becoming a National Business Member, visit our website.
The virtual conference offered 24+ sessions featuring workshops and panel presentations on advancing cultures of compassion, communication, interprofessional teamwork and interpersonal skills. Participants learned to apply those techniques towards initiatives and strategies that achieve the quadruple aim of improving patient experience, population health and workforce well-being while lowering costs. Planning is already underway for our 2023 Conference, and we hope you will join us for an inspiring, informative, and interactive experience!
350+ attendees joined our Virtual Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference
95% of the attendees said the conference updated their knowledge and skills
100% of the attendees believe that the conference will help them meet their personal objectives to enhance their professional capabilities
Financial Highlights 2022
Philanthropy and earned revenue evenly contribute to the Schwartz Center.
During Fiscal Year 2022, 81% of all spending was directed to mission-specific programming. Fundraising and administrative costs represent the remainder. Our program investments for Fiscal Year 2022 resulted in income from operations of $1.9M.
Looking Ahead
Looking to the future, we remain committed to supporting health workers during this tumultuous time in healthcare. We will continue to expand our reach to more caregivers and their patients. Our work has never been more important, and the impact of your support has never been more meaningful.
Thank you for joining us in this mission to put compassion at the heart of healthcare.