Schwartz Center Rounds

Berkshire Medical Center hosts Schwartz Center Rounds, unique, multi-disciplinary sessions in which hospital staff explore the emotional side of caregiving.

A national program with sites across the country, Schwartz Center Rounds are funded by the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing compassionate healthcare.

In a typical Rounds session, a panel of caregivers presents a patient case that brought up interesting and important psychosocial issues. Topics have included: delivering bad news; when religious or spiritual beliefs conflict with medical advice; taking care of a colleague; and losing a patient.

Hospital staff then shares their own thoughts and feelings related to the day's topic. Unlike grand rounds, these sessions are not about clinical problem-solving, but rather about exploring and processing the emotions that come up in the daily work of hospital staff.

A comprehensive study of Schwartz Center Rounds has shown them to help caregivers connect better with patients emotionally; enhance their understanding of the effects of illness on patients and their families; improve communication among caregivers and decrease feelings of caregiver isolation and stress.

For more information, visit the Schwartz Center web site.