The Schwartz Center's Story

In 1994, Ken Schwartz was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. During his 10-month ordeal, he came to realize that what matters most during an illness is the human connection between patients and their caregivers.

At the end of his life, Ken outlined the organization he wanted to create. It would be a center that would nurture the compassion in healthcare, encouraging the sorts of caregiver-patient relationships that made all the difference to him. He founded the Schwartz Center in 1995 – just days before his death – to ensure that all patients receive compassionate and humane care.

The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare’s mission is simple but compelling: to promote compassionate care so that patients and their caregivers relate to one another in a way that provides hope to the patient, support to caregivers and sustenance to the healing process.