PHOTO COURTESY: HENRY FORD HOSPITAL
Dr. Rana Awdish, a critical care medicine physician and director of the pulmonary hypertension program at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital has received two national honors for her work to advance more effective communications between doctors and patients.
Dr. Awdish was named National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year by the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare for embodying the “attributes of compassionate care, such as effective communication, emotional support, mutual trust and respect, the involvement of families in healthcare decisions, and treating patients as people, not just illnesses.” She also received the Physician of the Year Award from Press Ganey, a national provider of patient experience measurement and performance improvement for health care organizations, for her focus on empathy and connection.
Under Dr. Awdish’s leadership, the Henry Ford’s Physician communication and peer support curriculum was launched in 2013. Facilitators provide tools to ensure that each conversation is guided by empathy and compassion, beginning with an understanding of what matters most to patients and aligning with their values.
Dr. Awdish is board certified in critical care medicine, pulmonary disease and internal medicine. She earned her medical degree from the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and completed a residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and a fellowship in pulmonary medicine at Henry Ford Hospital.
