Compassion makes healthcare better - one connection at a time.
At the Schwartz Center, we know that compassion has the power to save lives. Compassionate healthcare isn’t just an ideal—it’s essential for patients, families, and their care teams to thrive.
About The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
Our programs increase compassion in healthcare and create more meaningful connections between patients and healthcare professionals. We work with nearly 800 healthcare partners in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to advance compassion for patients, care teams, and their healing relationships.
Healthcare organizations face unprecedented challenges: staffing shortages, widespread provider burnout, mounting financial pressures, and deepening health disparities. We deliver evidence-based solutions that restore purpose to healthcare work, reduce burnout, and ensure that compassion remains at the heart of healing.
Our Mission
is to partner with healthcare organizations to advance compassion for patients, care teams, and their healing relationships.
Our Vision
is to be a global leader in championing compassion for all who seek and provide healthcare.
Our Work
Patients and healthcare workers alike believe that compassion is essential to successful medical treatment, how well patients recover from illness, and even whether a patient lives or dies. With the difficulties facing healthcare, compassion matters now more than ever.
We cultivate compassion in healthcare for patients, families, teams and organizations by:
Increasing the Reach and Impact of the Schwartz Rounds® Program:
The Schwartz Rounds program gives healthcare workers dedicated time and space to discuss the emotional challenges of their jobs, which has been proven to increase their capacity for compassion and ability to provide better care for patients.
Strengthening our Community of Compassion Champions:
We offer educational, networking, and recognition opportunities to our network of healthcare professionals, organizational leaders, patients and families, donors, and other stakeholders who believe in the transformative power of compassion.
Advancing the Power of Compassion to Transform Organizations:
Using our Schwartz Compassionate Healthcare Model as a guide, we help healthcare organizations and their leaders to advance a culture of compassion.
These acts of kindness - the simple human touch from my caregivers - have made the unbearable bearable
KEN SCHWARTZ, Founder
Our History
Ken's Story
In November of 1994, Ken Schwartz was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. During his ordeal, Ken came to realize that what matters most during an illness is the human connection between patients and their caregivers. He wrote about his experience in an article for the Boston Globe Magazine titled A Patient’s Story. In it, he writes about how “the smallest acts of kindness” make “the unbearable bearable.” His commentary has become a touchstone for the Center and readers around the world.
At the end of his life, Ken outlined an organization that would nurture compassion in healthcare, encouraging the sort of caregiver-patient relationships that made all the difference to him. He founded the Schwartz Center in 1995 – just days before his death – to ensure that all patients receive compassionate care, and all caregivers are supported in providing it.
How Your Giving Helps
Donors power our mission to bring compassion to healthcare nationwide. Your contributions -- whether through annual giving, corporate partnerships, or foundation grants -- directly fund the programs that transform how healthcare workers care for patients and each other. From helping the Schwartz Rounds® program reach new organizations to building resources to support caregiver well-being, every gift advances compassionate care where it's needed most.
During Fiscal Year 2024, 78% of all spending was directed to mission-specific programming.* Fundraising and administrative costs represent the remainder. Strategic investments in programs resulted in an expected $800k loss in Fiscal Year 2024.
*Industry benchmarks suggest that at least 70% of funds raised directly support mission-focused programs.
Our Leadership
We are fortunate to have an experienced, skilled and diverse leadership committed to the work of the Schwartz Center and ensuring the compassionate experience in healthcare.
Ellen R. Cohen, MSW, Founder
Officer
Jean-Paul A. Rebillard, Chair
Officer
President, MedPro Specialty, MedPro Group
Robyn Begley, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice Chair
Officer
Former, Chief Executive Officer, AONL
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, AHA
Ethan Crain, Treasurer
Officer
Executive Vice President, National Healthcare Practice Leader, Lockton
Michael L. Blau
Board Member
Former Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
William T. Curry Jr., MD
Board Member
Chief Medical Officer, Academic Medical Centers, Mass General Brigham
Melissa A. Fitzpatrick, MSN, RN, FAAN
Board Member
President, Kirby Bates Associates
Graham Gardner, MD, MBA
Board Member
Founder and Former Chief Executive Officer, Kyruus Health
Ann-Ellen Hornidge, Esq.
Board Member
Board Chair, Beth Israel Lahey Health System
Sharon McNally
Board Member
Chief Executive Officer, Camp Harbor View Foundation
Reena L. Pande, MD
Board Member
Oxeon
Angela Patterson, DNP, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, FAANP
Board Member
Enterprise Chief Nursing Officer, VP and Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer, Retail Health
Sandhya Rao, MD
Board Member
Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Health and Medical Management, Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts
Mark E. Reynolds
Board Member
Chief Executive Officer, CRICO
Jay Shiland
Board Member
Partner, MTS Health Partners LP
Charlotte Yeh, MD, FACEP
Board Member
Founder, Yeh Innovation, LLC
Former Chief Medical Officer, AARP Services, Inc.
Kate Stewart
Legal Counsel
Betsy Pingree Frawley
Chair
Tony Starr
Chair
Member, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Giovsky and Popeo
Charlie D. Baker
Member
President, National Collegiate Athletic Association
Mimi Bartholomay, RN, MSN
Member
Peter A. Biagetti
Member
Member, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Giovsky and Popeo
M. Lynn Buttolph, MD, PhD
Member
Physician, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
Howard Cohen
Member
Chairman of the Board, Beacon Communities
Robert K. Coughlin
Member
Managing Director, Life Sciences, JLL
Richard Doherty
Member
Former President, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts
Andrew Dreyfus
Member
Chief Executive Officer, National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation
Rushika Fernandopulle, MD, MPP
Member
Former Chief Innovation Officer, OneMedical
Kerry A. Flynn
Member
Former Vice President, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, Vertex
Beth Lown, MD
Member
Chief Medical Officer, Emeritus, The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
Thomas J. Lynch Jr., MD
Member
President and Director, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Clare Midgley
Member
Joyce A. Murphy
Member
2019 Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow, Harvard University
Britain Nicholson, MD
Member
Former, Senior Vice President for Development, Massachusetts General Hospital
James Roosevelt, Jr.
Member
Counsel, Verrill & Dana
Eric Schultz
Member
Eric Schwartz, MD
Member
Marjorie Stanzler
Member
Rev. Judith Swahnberg
Member
Kate Walsh
Member
Former, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services
Stephen Weiner
Member
Member Emeritus of Mintz
Lynn Wiatrowski
Member
Former Managing Director, Bank of America
Daniel Wofford
Member
Senior Consultant, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania
Marilyn Yager
Member
Senior Policy Advisor, Alston & Bird, LLP
Candace Young
Member
Owner and Founder, From The Ground Up
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare’s Leadership Council is composed of members who recognize the importance of compassionate care as a critical issue, are committed to the work of the Schwartz Center, and are willing and able to take an active role in the organization.
Michael L. Blau, Chair
Chair
Former Partner, Foley and Lardner
Pamela Mann, MSSA, Vice-Chair
Chair
Interfaith Chaplain, In-Patient Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Wendy K. Cohen, LICSW
Council Member
Former Social Worker, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Jon DuBois, MD
Council Member
Oncologist, The Anderson Family Cancer Institute, Jupiter Medical Center
Matthew Fishman
Council Member
Matthew Germak, MD, MPH
Council Member
Vice President of Patient Safety, CRICO
Brent Henry
Council Member
Member, Mintz
Michael Goldberg, MD
Council Member
Scholar in Residence, The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
Edward J. Keohane
Council Member
Founder and CEO, Babywell MD
Samantha Kingsbury
Council Member
Of Counsel, Mintz
Michele R. Klau RNCS
Council Member
Psychopharmacologist and Psychotherapist, The Danielsen Institute at Boston University
Sarah Lukas
Council Member
Former Partner, Edelstein & Co., LLP
Jo Frances Meyer
Council Member
Director, Puddingstone Consulting
Paresh Purohit
Council Member
Vice President, Marsh McLennan Agency
Jan Rose
Council Member
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, McDermott, Quilty & Miller LLP
Beth Sampath
Council Member
Vice President, Quality Assurance, Benchmark Senior Living
Daniel Stanzler
Council Member
Portfolio Manager, Beaumont Financial Partners
Tamar Thompson
Council Member
Head, Global Corporate Affairs, Alexion Pharmaceuticals
Larry Vernaglia
Council Member
Partner, Foley and Lardner LLP
Peter Zane
Council Member
Former President, Kryptonite Corporation
Patricia Arias
Council Member
Program Manager, Trauma-Informed Care, University Hospital (UH)
Ruth Bash
Council Member
Senior Vice President & Chief Experience Officer, Inspira Health
Bernice Burkharth
Council Member
Chief Medical Officer, Care at Home, Tufts Medicine
Kimberly Dever
Council Member
Vice President of Women’s Health and Chief, OB/GYN, South Shore Health
Mila Felder
Council Member
Vice President, Well-being, Advocate Health
Paula Goodman-Crews
Council Member
Medical Bioethics Director, Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center
Shamai Larsen
Council Member
Employee Wellbeing Manager, Legacy Health
Farida Malik
Council Member
East Sussex Healthcare, NHS Trust
Sophia Maurasse
Council Member
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, McLean Hospital
Jeff Meyer
Council Member
Lead Chaplain – Schwartz Rounds Committee Chairperson, Spectrum Health Medical Center
Sofia Newton
Council Member
Wellness Manager, Highland Hospital
Jennifer Polakowski
Council Member
Assistant Director/Co-Lead, NJ Nursing Emotional Well-being Institute (NJ-New); NJ Action Coalition (NJAC)
Tracy Receveur
Council Member
Senior Consultant, Alberta Health Services
Heather Schmidt
Council Member
System Medical Director Healthy Work & Well-being, SSM Health
Sarah Sebton
Council Member
Director, Trauma-Informed Care, University Hospital (UH)
Beba Tata-Mbeng
Council Member
Manager of Spiritual Care, Mayo Clinic Florida
Alex (Nathan) Thurman
Council Member
Risk Management Assistant, Bluegrass Care Navigators
Ashley Yeats
Council Member
Vice President Medical Operations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts – Health & Medical Management
Our Staff
Michael Gustafson, MD, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Elizabeth Hickman
Chief Operating Officer
Courtney Barth
Chief Development Officer
Richard Bottner, DHA, PA-C, CPHQ, FACHE
Chief Clinical Officer
Beth Lown, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Emeritus
Michele Babineau
Senior Executive Assistant
Ruth Ball
Mentor
Kelli Callandriello
Development Data Manager
Sheri Carey
Senior Director of Operations
Our Strategic Partners
© 2025 The Schwartz Center. All Rights Reserved.
