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In This Issue:
From left, Buffy Sheff, Susan Block, Michael Hubner, Phil Higgins, Martha Burke and Janet Abrahm.
Phil Higgins, MSW, LICSW, leads BWH’s participation in a Partners-wide University HealthSystem Consortium quality improvement initiative, increasing access to palliative care for vulnerable and high-risk patients more than three-fold between 2008 and 2010. He helped establish a new palliative care social worker position, and he co-led a survey of social work staff to explore and improve upon the palliative care social work team’s educational and collaborative clinical efforts related to palliative and end-of-life care.
Anyone who comes in contact with him will also tell you how his sense of humor brightens the room, and that’s in addition to being a great mentor, colleague, researcher and friend.
All these qualities earned him this year’s Martha Byron Burke Award for Social Work Excellence.
“Phil has the enormous ability not just to meet patients where they are, but to help them get to where they need to be, no matter how difficult that path is,” said Janet Abrahm, MD, chief of the Division of Palliative Care, who nominated Higgins for the award.
Established and named in honor of Burke in 2007 for her leadership, commitment and dedication to the BWH social work practice since 1978, the annual award recognizes a social worker who exemplifies the values and aspirations of excellence in leadership and patient centered care. Since joining the Adult Palliative Care Service in 2007, Higgins has been a tireless advocate for his patients.
Higgins is a faculty member of the Harvard Center for Palliative Care and is one of a select number of leaders who lectures in the palliative care throughout the country. He has written a number of articles and book chapters related to social work practice in palliative care.
“The social work program at BWH is unique. Martha has created a program that is so completely grounded in direct clinical practice, where social workers are not only encouraged but expected to use knowledge and skills gained through our master’s level training,” said Higgins during a ceremony Dec. 2 in the Shapiro Breakout Room. “That has led to a tremendous freedom that allows us to stand up and speak confidently with our interdisciplinary team members, to play a direct and active role in shaping what happens to our patients and their families, and to do so collaboratively with equal parts clinical rigor and levity.”
At closing, it was Burke who thanked Higgins for his commitment. “Phil, you make us proud today to be social workers,” she said. “You truly understand the power and privilege of social work practice in caring for patients, families, staff and mentoring so many social workers and other interdisciplinary staff.”