Supporting Your Well-Being—A New Season of Schwartz Rounds

UPDATE: The next Schwartz Rounds is today, May 19 at noon! Join colleagues virtually on Teams or at one of several locations for The Courage to Care: You are Enough! This session is an opportunity to explore your emotions and concerns about the pressures of caring for others while maintaining a sense of personal and professional worth. 

Well-being is the focus of this year’s Schwartz Rounds series. If you're interested in sharing experiences, reflecting on the emotional and social aspects of our work, and building community with your colleagues, consider attending the next Schwartz Rounds, Sustaining Well-Being in an Ever-Changing Work Environment, on Jan. 20 at noon. The session is held virtually on Teams and at several locations.

What are Schwartz Rounds?

The Schwartz Rounds program provides a regularly scheduled open forum for a multidisciplinary discussion of the psychosocial and emotional aspects of caring for patients and families. 

Each session is organized around a compelling patient story or theme and includes both clinical and non-clinical panelists and participants.

“These stories open our eyes to the experience of others and allow us to share in the emotions of difficult healthcare issues together,” says Deb Ferron, project analyst for Medical Ethics and senior Schwartz Rounds facilitator. 

The rounds are for everyone—as we are a team and we rely on each other for communication and collaboration—and each meeting is a chance for healthcare workers (whether or not you provide direct patient care) to come together in a safe and confidential space to reflect, connect, and discuss the complexities of caregiving. 

Phyllis Whitehead, Ph.D., clinical ethicist and clinical nurse specialist in Palliative Medicine, was a groundbreaker in bringing Schwartz Rounds to Carilion over 10 years ago and continues to actively lead the program. She says, “The rounds create an opportunity to foster a compassionate environment and understand each other on a deeper level. Through open and honest discussion, we soon realize that we are not alone in our day-to-day work encounters and challenges.” 

By focusing on both patient-centered and caregiver-centered concerns, Schwartz Rounds foster empathy, improve communication, and support the well-being of healthcare workers, and ultimately, our patients, too. 

What is the Value and Impact?

Research shows that the Schwartz Rounds program is beneficial for patients, individual caregivers, care teams, and healthcare organizations. Researchers have found that the impact of the Schwartz Rounds is cumulative: the more sessions attended, the greater its impact on individuals, patient care, and teams.

Individuals who consistently attended Schwartz Rounds reported reduced psychological distress by 50% compared to non-attendees. Additionally, they reported increased feelings of support and connectedness. 

Schwartz Rounds also has a dramatic impact on patient care. Over 85% of participants reported increased compassion and empathy for patients, and 90% of participants experienced improved insights of the psychosocial and emotional aspects of patient care.

Care teams who attended Schwartz Rounds experienced improved teamwork and communication, increased understanding of others’ roles, increased engagement with leadership, and a stronger sense of shared purpose. Additionally, the impact on organizations is substantial, with reported improved work environments, enhanced collaboration, and increased leadership support.

What Happened Last Year?

The Schwartz Rounds program in 2025 aligned with all the exciting changes within Carilion, including the opening of the Crystal Spring Tower and Cardiovascular Institute. Sessions focused on the promotion of equity and respect in healthcare, changes in restraint policies, and non-beneficial treatment. For reference, here's a list of last year's topics:

• Navigating the New at Carilion: Preparing for Change in the Year Ahead 
• Challenging the ‘Isms’: Promoting Equity and Respect in Healthcare
• To Restrain or Not to Restrain: It’s Necessity and Impact
• The Tsunami of Emotions in Navigating Medically and Ethically Inappropriate Treatment
• The Many Faces of Professional Isolation
• Who’s in Charge: Bedside to Boardroom

What Can You Expect in 2026?

Well-being is the theme for 2026. We are focusing on the ever-changing work environment to promote ongoing personal growth, satisfaction, and psychological well-being.

We hope to see you at our next Schwartz Round, January 20 at noon. Join us to build community and meet individuals who understand the challenges of caregiving and want to share their experiences.

For more information about Schwartz Rounds and the upcoming topics, contact Deb Ferron, Medical Ethics at dmferron@carilionclinic.org or Phyllis Whitehead, Clinical Ethics, at pbwhitehead@carilionclinic.org.