In her keynote at the 2019 Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference, Helen Riess, MD, discusses the origins of the compassion gap, why it matters, and the way forward for those wanting to strengthen the state of compassionate care in American medicine.

Imagine an organization where employees felt free to go with their gut, speak up, and do what is best for the greater good. Amy Edmondson calls it "the fearless organization,” and offers compelling evidence that this is the style of organization necessary to succeed in today’s fast-paced economy. She shared her newest findings in an inspiring keynote “The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Compassion and Collaboration” at the 2019 Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference.

When it comes to creating a culture of compassion in healthcare, setting the tone starts at the top. As we heard at the 2019 Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference, industry leaders are rising to the occasion and using science and compassion to better serve stakeholders at all levels.

The need for compassion is almost universally recognized in healthcare, but there is a “disconnect” between recognizing that need and meeting it. As we learned at the 2019 Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference, applicable best practices are all around us – in customer-focused brands like Starbucks, Nordstrom, and the Boston Red Sox.

Where can you find the role models, both individual and organizational, that embody the qualities and positive results of compassionate leadership? Many of the best practices are found in the healthcare industry. Read more from our recent experiences at the 2019 Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference.

Our first thoughts after attending this year’s Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference, which brought 600 leaders from around the globe to address urgent challenges in the healthcare system and collaborate on solutions by putting compassion at the core of practice for patients, providers, systems and institutions.