Celebrating Extraordinary Acts of Compassion

Criteria for Nomination

The National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year (NCCY)® 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.

Up to six award recipients will be chosen by a national review committee. Nominees may include healthcare professionals and interdisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. We welcome nominations for clinical and nonclinical providers, administrators, educators, and others who provide direct or indirect care to patients, families, and/or healthcare staff.

  • Is a healthcare professional who works in a health-related organization or practice.
  • May include clinical and non-clinical providers, administrators, educators, and others who provide direct or indirect care to patients, families, and/or healthcare staff
  • Has made exceptional contributions in one or more NCCY Area of Impact
  • Teams consist of a multidisciplinary group of 3+ individuals working together on an ongoing basis
  • Each team member should be a healthcare professional who works in a health-related organization or practice.
  • May include clinical and non-clinical providers, administrators, educators, and others who provide direct or indirect care to patients, families, and/or healthcare staff
  • Has made exceptional contributions in one or more NCCY Area of Impact

NCCY Areas of Impact

HEALING
  • Supports all aspects of patient and family well-being and quality of life
  • Possesses excellent clinical skills appropriate to caregiving role
  • Listens attentively and communicates in a way the patient and family can understand
  • Demonstrates care for the patient as a whole person
VISION
  • Possesses the sensitivity and skills to perceive and address an unmet need for compassion among patients, families, or healthcare staff
  • Has empowered others to develop and implement an innovative program, practice, or policy that has had a meaningful impact on healthcare experience and/or outcomes 
  • Is regarded by colleagues, patients, and families as a force for positive change on an organizational or systems level
EQUITY
  • Has created programs, practices, and/or policies that enable equitable access to compassionate, high-quality healthcare for underserved communities
  • Has created programs, practices, and/or policies that address, reduce, and dismantle historical inequities in healthcare
  • Implements collaborative, systems-level responses to advance health equity

 

Please note that family caregivers are not eligible for this award. We recognize the instrumental role family caregivers play in providing compassionate care; however, we are currently unable to extend our selection criteria for the NCCY Award beyond that of caregivers who are healthcare professionals. We are actively considering expanding this program in the future so that we may be able to formally include family caregivers in our selection process.

If you have questions about the award, please visit our FAQ page or contact nominations@nccyaward.org.

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