SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Promoting Interprofessional and Interdepartmental Kindness and Collaboration Among Healthcare Workers

Pdf Summary

The document describes <strong>The Kindness Coalition (TKC)</strong>, a Stanford-based initiative designed to promote kindness and collaboration among healthcare workers across professions and departments. It responds to the high prevalence of burnout in U.S. healthcare workers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is grounded in evidence that kindness can reduce isolation, strengthen community, support resilience, and spread through social networks.

TKC’s goal is to create a culture where kind behaviors are encouraged, recognized, and sustained. The initiative hopes this will improve well-being, reduce burnout, increase collegiality and cross-department collaboration, and ultimately enhance patient care.

TKC uses four main components:
1. <strong>Kindness advocates</strong> — healthcare workers who model and promote kind behavior.
2. <strong>Monthly events</strong> — gatherings that educate participants about kindness and collaboration while providing physical reminders like custom pins.
3. <strong>A communication platform</strong> — ongoing text-based communication to maintain connection and community between events.
4. <strong>Kindness recognition</strong> — a form that allows workers to recognize colleagues whose kindness made a positive impact, with thank-you emails sent to recognized individuals and their supervisors.

The authors plan to continue developing the initiative using <strong>Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles</strong> and expand its reach across the healthcare system.

Asset Subtitle

Amity Eliaz

Meta Tag

Author List Amity Eliaz, Jason Hom, Neera Ahuja, Poonam Hosamani, Prerak Juthani, Tamara Masinter

Category Innovations

Concept Healthcare Worker Burnout

Concept Kindness

Concept The Kindness Coalition

Concept Wellness

Concept Resilience

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Stanford Department of Medicine

Presenting Author Amity Eliaz

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

kindness coalition

healthcare workers

burnout prevention

collaboration

well-being

resilience

COVID-19 pandemic

kindness recognition

PDSA cycles

patient care

Healthcare Worker Burnout

Kindness

The Kindness Coalition

Wellness

Resilience