The University of Michigan hosts Schwartz Center Rounds, which are 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 share 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. Schwartz Center Rounds are held once a month at lunchtime, and the date varies monthly. It is listed in the daily bulletin. For more information about Schwartz Center Rounds, visit www.theschwartzcenter.org. For more information about Schwartz Center Rounds at the University of Michigan, contact Susan Urba, M.D., at 734-615-4762, or surba@umich.edu.