Kenneth Schwartz was diagnosed with lung cancer at the In November 1994 at the age of 40. He was a successful Boston health care attorney. His cancer was very aggressive, and during his 10-month illness, he discovered the importance of the human connection between caregiver and patient, finding that “the smallest acts of kindness made the unbearable bearable.” I encourage everyone to read the article that Ken wrote in the Boston Globe titled “A patient’s story” by clicking here. Ken founded the Schwartz Center in 1995, just days before his death, which he envisioned would be a center that would promote compassion in medicine. Schwartz Rounds, which take place in more than 400 healthcare organisations throughout the US and Canada and more than 150 throughout the UK, have since been developed to support Ken’s vision. Monash Health is the 2nd Australian site that has implemented them. Schwartz Rounds aim to offer healthcare providers a regularly scheduled time to discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families, and to share their experiences, thoughts and feelings on topics drawn from actual patient cases with colleagues from other healthcare disciplines. The premise is that caregivers are better able to make personal connections with patients and colleagues when they have greater insight into their own responses and feelings. Schwartz Rounds have been shown to reduce stress in doctors who attend them, and to improve the capacity to manage the psychosocial aspects of patient care.
Erwin with Rosemary McKemmish, Well-being Officer, Anne Marie Hadley, Chief eXperience Officer, and Dr Anjali Dhulia, Director Medical Services, at the Dandenong Hospital Schwartz Round.
Monash Health held its second Schwartz Round at Dandenong Hospital this week. The topic was “The Patient I will Never Forget”, and it was hosted by Assoc. Prof Ranjana Srivastava, consultant medical oncologist, and Claire Pierce, General Manager of Outpatients and Health Information Services. The panellists were Emese Bicsak, Dandenong Hospital Nurse Unit Manager, Dr Titus Hackman, Emergency Medicine Registrar, Mr Brian Hodgkins, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, and Karen Brockley, from Health Information Services. There were almost 100 attendees, and it was a great session, with staff present sharing their emotional experiences from their clinical practice. The facilitators were amazing, and it was nice to see how open staff were in sharing their thoughts and feelings with each other. We plan to hold regular Schwartz Rounds at Monash Health campuses moving forward, and look forward to seeing more Monash Doctors attend.
The Clinical Council met this week, and issues of clinical significance were discussed by the senior clinical leaders of the organisation. Dr Anjali Dhulia, Director Medical Services, led a discussion on the management of the deteriorating patient, including transfer, at our different campuses. The Council discussed recommendations from various cases reviewed by the Clinical Outcome Review Panels, and considered new policies and procedures.
Drs Anjali Dhulia and Peter Satterthwaite, Directors Medical Services, and I, attended Monash Doctors Open Forums at Dandenong Hospital and Monash Medical Centre this week, with Karen Lowe, Executive Director of People and Culture. It was a pleasure to meet senior and junior Monash Doctors, and to have a two-way dialogue with the hard-working medical staff we have at our different sites. It is clear that this past winter has been a busy one, and the clinical activity remains high, which has put pressure on the workload of our doctors. It is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our Monash Doctors that there is still a positive culture of optimism. My team and I will continue to work with the Medical Programs, the Chief Operating Officer, and all of you, to see how we can address some of the concerns raised, so that we can support you better to provide care to our patients and our community.
Lastly, the Monash Health Basic Physician training program is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Claire Dendle as the new Head of Physician Training and Dr Siobhan Lockwood as the new Deputy Head of Physician Training. Claire is the current Chair of our Senior Medical Staff Association. Claire and Siobhan bring a wealth of experience in education to our program and we look forward to this new and exciting time for our trainees and the physician training program.
I hope that you all had a great weekend, and that everyone stayed safe in the inclement weather!
Professor Erwin Loh
Chief Medical Officer
