Boulder Community Health is proud to announce that Intensive Care Unit
nurse Lynne McAtee-Harris, RN has been recognized for her extensive efforts
to expand emotional support for patients and caregivers at BCH by being
named a finalist for the 2017 National Compassionate Caregiver of the
Year Award.
The honor is given annually by the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare,
a national leader in the movement to make compassion a vital element in
every patient-caregiver interaction. According to the Schwartz Center,
"these finalists represent healthcare professionals who make a profound
difference through their unmatched dedication to compassionate, collaborative
care."
McAtee-Harris has more than 25 years’ experience caring for seriously
ill patients and has seen firsthand the importance of effective communication,
emotional support and mutual respect in health care. Her boundless enthusiasm
and personal commitment to making compassion a priority at BCH has fostered
greater resiliency among caregivers, which makes them better equipped
to provide the highest quality care to patients and families.
Among her many accomplishments, McAtee-Harris spearheaded development of
BCH’s popular, annual Compassionate Care Symposium, which provides
an in-depth focus on issues such as mindfulness, patient-centered communications,
kindness and diversity. McAtee-Harris also was instrumental in creating
a shadowing program designed to expand empathy among caregivers and other
employees across the BCH system.
BCH President and CEO Dr. Robert Vissers commented, "Boulder Community
Health is extremely fortunate to benefit from Lynne’s exceptional
commitment to providing our patients the best possible care. This prestigious
NCCY award nomination recognizes her tireless dedication to ensuring caregivers’
well-being and the impact she has had on the many, many patients and families
she’s touched over the course of her career. Not only has her passion
had a pronounced impact on individual patients and staff, she has been
instrumental in incorporating an empathetic mindset into the culture of
our organization. She is undoubtedly a role model for compassionate care
and a vitally important part of our caregiving team."
The other finalists represent organizations from across the country, including
the Cleveland Clinic, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and the University
of Virginia Health System. Award finalists are chosen by a national review
committee, which includes past award recipients, in collaboration with
representatives from the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association,
and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
The award recipient will be announced on Nov. 16, 2017 at the 22nd Annual
Kenneth B. Schwartz Compassionate Healthcare Dinner in Boston. More than
1,800 healthcare leaders, caregivers and patients are expected to attend
this event to recognize the critical role of healthcare professionals
and the exceptional work of the award nominees who epitomize compassionate care.
Congratulations, Lynne!
More information about the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
and the award is available at www.theschwartzcenter.org.