Background

Rooted in the experience of one patient, the Center has grown into an organization addressing the universal concerns of many. In November 1994, health care attorney Kenneth Schwartz was diagnosed with lung cancer. His case was riddled with terrible ironies. He was only 40 and a nonsmoker.  He ate well and exercised regularly.

During his 10-month ordeal, Ken came to realize that what matters most during an illness is the human connection with professional caregivers. He wrote movingly about his illness and care in an article for The Boston Globe Magazine, “A Patient’s Story.” In it, he reminds caregivers to stay in the moment with patients and how “the smallest acts of kindness made the unbearable bearable.” The piece has become a touchstone for the Center and readers all over the country.

At the end of his life Ken outlined the organization he wanted created. It would be a center that would nurture the compassion in medicine, encouraging the sorts of caregiver-patient relationships that made all the difference to him.