The Schwartz Center Names Recipients of the 2024 National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year Award

Three NCCY Award Recipients to be honored at the 29th Annual Kenneth B. Schwartz Compassionate Healthcare Dinner

BOSTON (October 22, 2024)—The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a national nonprofit dedicated to putting compassion at the heart of healthcare, has selected three recipients from across the U.S. for the 2024 National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year® (NCCY) Award. The NCCY Award celebrates extraordinary healthcare professionals who display extraordinary compassion in the care of their patients, colleagues and their communities.

The recipients will be honored at the 29th Annual Kenneth B. Schwartz Compassionate Healthcare Dinner on October 29, 2024, in Boston, MA. Healthcare leaders, clinicians and supporters will attend this event, which is co-chaired by Kevin B. Churchwell, MD, president and chief executive officer of Boston Children’s Hospital, Brent L. Henry, member of Mintz, and Thomas H. Lee, MD, chief medical officer of Press Ganey.

“It is a profound honor to recognize the 2024 NCCY Award recipients for their unwavering dedication and compassion towards their patients and colleagues, particularly amidst the current challenges in healthcare,” said Michael Gustafson, MD, MBA, CEO of the Schwartz Center. “Their exceptional acts of kindness and their commitment to driving meaningful, systemic change inspire us deeply, as they enhance care on both personal and community levels.”

“The 2024 NCCY Award recipients are at the forefront of tackling healthcare inequities,” said Jean-Paul Rebillard, chair of the Schwartz Center Board and president of MedPro Specialty at MedPro Group. “These visionary leaders are addressing social determinants of health by enhancing access to care in underserved communities and developing programs to reduce stigma and support the most vulnerable populations. We come together to celebrate their extraordinary dedication and impactful work.”

The 2024 NCCY Award recipients are:

• Dinh To, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, IL – Dinh To is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in treating patients with stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and various neuromuscular conditions at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. His patients have often suffered catastrophic losses, and “Dinh is their guiding light to be able to find a path forward.” Said one colleague: “Dinh has a unique ability to meet suffering with deep compassion, and he has impacted innumerable lives.”
• Erik Garcia, MD, UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Chan Medical School, MA – Dr. Erik Garcia is a physician who has been providing healthcare to the homeless population in Worcester for several decades. He cares for patients with the Road to Care mobile clinic and at AIDS Project Worcester as a physician with UMass Memorial Medical Center. “Dr. Garcia embodies compassion and humanism like no one I have seen in my three decades of providing care,” said one colleague.
• Sylvia Parker, NP, Optum, CT – Sylvia Parker is a nurse practitioner who provides care to patients with complex needs in nursing home settings. “The joy Sylvia brings goes beyond medicine,” said a colleague. “The connections she creates through her unique presence with patients, families, and co-workers invite everyone she works with into a higher level of care.”

The Schwartz Center is grateful to CRICO for its generous support of the National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year Award. For close to 50 years, CRICO has provided industry-leading medical professional liability coverage, claims management, and patient safety resources to all of the Harvard medical institutions and their affiliates, and is a recognized leader in evidence-based risk management. Through a national data collaborative, Candello, a division of CRICO, provides clinical risk intelligence products and solutions and fosters an active online community of shared learning.

About the National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year Award

Since 1999, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare has honored outstanding healthcare professionals who display extraordinary devotion and compassion in caring for patients and families.

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. Award finalists are chosen by a national review committee.

Visit theschwartzcenter.org/award for details.

About the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare

Founded in 1995, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare is a national organization whose mission is to put compassion at the heart of healthcare through programs, education and advocacy. The challenges facing healthcare professionals on the front lines of caring for us all during this global health crisis are unprecedented.

The Schwartz Center has more than 600 member healthcare organizations across 45 states in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The benefits of membership extend to all staff within the member organization. There are also more than 290 healthcare organizations in the U.K. and Ireland conducting the Schwartz Rounds program through a partnership.

Our evidence-informed programs and resources have proven to be versatile, sustainable and effective across diverse settings, including acute care and rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient clinics, cancer centers, Veteran’s Administration medical centers, organ procurement organizations, nursing homes, hospice providers and health insurers.

Schwartz Center members rely on our offerings to support clinician mental health and well-being, enhance the quality of care, enable better outcomes and create a more positive and rewarding experience for all members of the care team, patients and their families.

We partner with healthcare organizations and systems to achieve a shared vision of a world where all who seek and provide care experience compassion.

Visit us at theschwartzcenter.org or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

Media Contact
Christina Parks
Director of Communications, The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
cparks@theschwartzcenter.org
508-942-6551

###