Sixty seconds: According to Edward D. Viner, MD, MACP, that’s all the time a patient needs to decide whether they feel like their clinician genuinely cares for them. For Viner — a former PAH physician who now serves as honorary first dean of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and director of the university’s Humanism Center — quickly forging an authentic, supportive patient/provider connection is vital because it shows “that there’s a real human being behind that white coat.” In recognition of his commitment to compassionate, altruistic, humanistic care, PAH honored him during the 39th Annual Molly and Sidney N. Zubrow Award Program.
“Each year, this award is presented to someone who continues Dr. Sidney Zubrow’s legacy of always working to improve care for patients and broaden the horizons of everyone who works in health care,” said CEO Theresa Larivee in her opening remarks. This treasured, longstanding tradition “serves as a reminder that our work isn’t only about medicine, but about the people.”
Viner was a member of the PAH team for 22 years (the earliest of which were spent working alongside Zubrow), and he touched countless patients’ lives and acted as a mentor for hundreds of residents. An annual teaching award was created in his honor. During his lecture, he discussed the ways in which the commercialization of health care has prioritized speed and volume over personalization, and he promoted the power of joy, autonomy, and education in the workplace as a way to preserve the soul of medicine.
To watch the full program, visit bit.ly/zubrow-award-2021