What value does Schwartz Center healthcare membership provide my staff and organization?

Healthcare organizations recognize that supported and engaged staff provide better and more compassionate care to patients and families.

The Schwartz Rounds^®, our flagship program, supports the staff of member healthcare organizations by providing a safe place for them to discuss and process the difficult social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families. It has been proven to reduce caregiver stress and isolation, improve communication and teamwork, and help caregivers better meet their patients’ needs. In healthcare organizations where it has been implemented, it has also resulted in changes in policies that have benefited patients, families and caregivers themselves.

The program provides value in the following ways:

• Measurable impact in compassionate care and communications: According to an independent evaluation of the program published in Academic Medicine, caregivers who attend these sessions feel better able to communicate and demonstrate compassion.
• Improves teamwork and reduces burnout: The evaluation also showed that the program improves teamwork, staff retention and reduces burnout. Staff turnover and burnout is a significant cost—at a turnover rate of 21%, at an average cost of 100% of an individual’s base salary—that can be reduced by instituting a culture of compassion.
• Improves processes and patient care: Organizations have also introduced new patient-centered policies and practices as a result of the Schwartz Rounds program to improve care.
• Lower healthcare costs: Research shows that patients who are satisfied with the discharge communication they received are less likely to be readmitted. JAMA Internal Medicine reported that medication adherence is better if a physician prioritizes the quality of communication.

What are the benefits of being a Schwartz Center healthcare member?

Healthcare members receive ongoing support and training to ensure that member organizations are getting the full benefit of the Schwartz Rounds program and our education and innovation programs and services.

In addition to implementing Schwartz Rounds, healthcare members enjoy members-only access to Schwartz Center resources, opportunities to network and share best practices with staff from other compassionate care organizations, access to educational seminars and conferences, and recognition as an organization that values compassion. You will also be listed as a Schwartz Center healthcare member and you may display our Schwartz Center healthcare member badge on your website and in your print materials, signifying your commitment to compassionate patient care.

What are the healthcare membership fees?

The Schwartz Center is able to support its mission through generous philanthropic donations, which covers more than 80% of the cost of healthcare membership. To learn more about pricing, please fill out our inquiry form.

What does the Schwartz Center annual healthcare membership fee include beyond the opportunity to conduct Schwartz Rounds?

The annual healthcare membership fee covers ongoing support and training to ensure that member organizations are getting the full benefit of the Schwartz Rounds program and our education and innovation programs and services. It provides members-only access to Schwartz Center resources, opportunities to network and share best practices with staff from other compassionate care organizations, access to educational seminars and national conferences, and recognition as an organization that values compassion.

Compassionate Care Community

• Healthcare member newsletter: We are targeting communication specifically for healthcare members to capture member stories and provide support, inspiration and best practices.
• Peer-to-peer network: We are growing our peer-to-peer network so that healthcare members can more easily seek feedback, ask questions, share best practices and learn from one another.
• Dedication to compassionate care and being part of the Schwartz Center community: The Schwartz Center is focused on nurturing professional caregivers, and strengthening the caregiver-patient relationship. Sites that affiliate with the Schwartz Center demonstrate their commitment to compassionate care, investment in their staff and strengthening the human connection among caregivers and patients. They recognize, value and invest in compassion.

Compassionate Care Innovation

We are always seeking ways to help our healthcare members nurture compassion for each other and themselves.   In addition to continuing to develop and improve the Schwartz Rounds, the Schwartz Center invests in innovation in developing compassionate care tools, services and programs, which we share with our healthcare member sites. We are currently working on the following:

• Agenda for improving compassionate care: In 2011, the Schwartz Center conducted a survey that showed about half of patients say compassionate care is missing. The results were published in Health Affairs, the nation’s leading health policy journal.
• Innovation and Thought Leadership events: Healthcare members are invited to attend these events, but if they’re unable to attend, we summarize and share highlights with our members so they still are able to take advantage of the key lessons.
• Healthcare member feedback: We are seeking your input to better understand what tools and programs you need to help compassionate care thrive.

What does the initiation fee cover?

The initiation fee covers the training and orientation necessary to conduct an effective Schwartz Rounds program, including a site visit from Schwartz Center staff. We work with each site to set up your planning committee and educate them on the format, benefits and logistics of conducting the program. You are invited to attend a session at an existing site with a Schwartz Center Member Experience Advisor and have the opportunity to debrief with Schwartz Center staff and Schwartz Rounds leaders from the host site.

How many healthcare institutions or organizations within my healthcare system are included in a Schwartz Center healthcare membership?

Each organization or institution within a larger health system is defined as a single healthcare member and must pay a membership fee. Currently we do not offer a health system pricing.

How many other organizations are Schwartz Center healthcare members?

Hundreds of healthcare organizations including hospitals, home-care, hospice and long-term care facilities—in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand are Schwartz Center members and part of our compassionate care community, which is focused on nurturing professional caregivers and strengthening the patient-caregiver relationship. Healthcare member organizations that affiliate with the Schwartz Center demonstrate their commitment to compassionate care, investment in their staff and strengthening the human connection among caregivers and patients.

What if we are interested in Schwartz Rounds and membership but can’t afford the fee?

See our Funding Your Membership page on how-to tips for raising funds for your Schwartz Center healthcare membership. You may be able to find a donor to support your membership fee. In seeking a donor, we recommend packaging all of the costs related to conducting Schwartz Rounds, including the Schwartz Center healthcare membership fee, refreshments for Schwartz Rounds participants and facilitation costs.

Cost alone should not be a reason for either not starting or continuing Schwartz Rounds. We have scholarship funds available for safety net, VA and other organizations that have exhausted all other funding avenues. Please contact us for details.

If you have additional healthcare membership questions, please see contact Sheri Carey, Senior Director of Member Operations at info@theschwartzcenter.org.