February 28, 2014 – Humanism in medicine is in the spotlight at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, where staff members recently celebrated the fourth annual Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care.
The movement was initiated by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which works with healthcare professionals in training and in practice to infuse a culture of respect, dignity and compassion for patients and practitioners.
GHHS National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care was initially inspired by the actions of the trauma surgeon who first treated Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords following the 2011 shooting in Tucson, Arizona. He said the most important thing he did that day was to take Congresswoman Giffords’ hand and tell her that she would be cared for.
“We are honored to unite with healthcare teams nationwide to raise awareness about the importance of humanism in medicine on GHHS National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care,” said Warren Geller, President and CEO of EHMC. “It is our mission to provide the community with medical excellence and compassionate care in a humanistic environment. We promise to continue to set the standard and seek new ways to bring empathy, sensitivity and high-quality care to the bedside of every patient.”
To mark the event, the Medical Center provided educational resources and free Solidarity Day bracelets to patients, visitors and employees. Staff members were also on hand to discuss EHMC’s role in the mission to continuously enhance and improve the patient experience through individualized care.
“The Gold Humanism Honor Society and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation are extremely fortunate to have a community partner who is so deeply committed to compassionate patient care,” said Lynn White, MD, Director of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. “We appreciate that Englewood Hospital and Medical Center staff sees it as a priority to recognize this national day of awareness.”
For the second consecutive year, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution designating February 14 as National Solidarity Day. The resolution, S res.350, was sponsored by Senators Booker (NJ-D), Menendez (NJ-D) and Kirk (R-Ill.) and was unanimously approved by the senate.