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Longtime Rehab Assistant at GBMC

Named Recipient Of Inaugural Compassionate Caregiver Award

BALTIMORE, Md. – June 4, 2008 – Sandy Titus, a rehab technician at Greater Baltimore Medical Center for more than two decades with a penchant for giving backrubs to patients and helping with their hair, today was announced as the winner of the hospital’s inaugural Nancy J. Petrarca Compassionate Caregiver Award.

Titus, a resident of Baltimore City, was honored for the empathetic care and personalized attention she gives to her patients, and for frequently ‘going the extra mile.’  She received a $1,000 cash prize, and was recognized at a hospital ceremony with the eight other nominees.

“When we walk into a patient’s room they are usually fearful of pain, falling, or just not being able to do what we ask,” Christina Pedini, senior physical therapist and Titus’ supervisor since 2004, said in a letter of support for the nomination.  “But Sandy has a way of putting them at ease with her warm smile and gentle touch. Sandy exemplifies everything that this award is about.  Sometimes people on the front lines may not feel like they have the power to do much in a big organization but Sandy brings that special touch that people truly need during a very difficult time.”

Kimberly Toms, physical therapy assistant, added, “She always does special things for her patients like comb their hair and set them up after treatment.  Sandy even made a patient’s bed.  It can be very scary for a patient to be moved after surgery or prolonged bedrest but I have seen Sandy interact with patients and make them feel at ease.  I have seen her spend lunchtime with a lonely patient and rub a patient’s back, brush and braid their hair, and hold their hands.”  

Said physical therapist co-worker Sandy Sofinowski, “I have seen Sandy go the extra step many times – backrubs, hairdos, warming coffee, remaking beds, a smile, and giving hugs when necessary.  Extraordinary care is what she provides every day, it’s who she is and what she adds to every person she touches.”

A GBMC employee since 1985, Titus is responsible for assisting physical and occupational therapy staff in getting patients walking, exercising and recovering from illness  “I was surprised and very happy when my name was announced as the winner,” Titus said.  “The department I work in is great and I really enjoy helping patients get back on their feet.”

The Nancy J. Petrarca Compassionate Caregiver Award was established in 2008 as part of the Schwartz Center Rounds Program at GBMC as a way to honor those caregivers who display extraordinary compassion in caring for patients and their families.

Started a decade ago at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the Schwartz Center Rounds concept was formulated by a dying lung cancer patient, Kenneth B. Schwartz, who felt that fostering relationships between patients and caregivers provided hope to the patient and sustenance to those who are committed to the healing or dying process.  Schwartz established an endowment to fund a regular forum for caregivers to exchange their feelings and thoughts around the empathetic engagement that is truly at the root of compassionate care.  John Adams, MD, a retired chief of pathology at GBMC, brought the Schwartz Center Rounds concept to GBMC after losing a friend to cancer. His vision and philanthropy have created an endowment fund to underwrite the cost of administering the rounds concept at the hospital. The fund is named in honor of his friend, Nancy Petrarca. The first Schwartz Center Rounds, where caregivers from all disciplines discussed the difficult emotional and social issues that arise in caring for critically ill patients, was held at GBMC on June 6, 2007.  Now, every other month, a forum is held on a different topic, similar to other rounds that occur in more than 115 hospitals in 26 states across the country.