CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Genzyme,
a Sanofi Company, today congratulated John Zawacki, MD, of UMass
Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, the recipient of
the 2012 Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Award, for his display
of extraordinary compassion in caring for patients and families. Sanofi
Oncology and Genzyme were the co-sponsors of the award, which was
announced Thursday, November 8th, at the 17th Annual Kenneth B. Schwartz
Compassionate Healthcare Dinner at the Boston Convention Center.
“As long as you share your feelings and have good
intentions, the words will come. It [being a doctor] is not a scripted
experience.”
Dr. Zawacki is a gastroenterologist who cares for patients with Crohn’s
disease, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. He has also
taught and mentored hundreds of medical students, residents and fellows,
telling them, “As long as you share your feelings and have good
intentions, the words will come. It [being a doctor] is not a scripted
experience.”
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to strengthening the relationship between
patients and their healthcare providers, established the award in 1999
to honor healthcare providers who practice compassionate care, which
includes effective communication, emotional support, mutual trust and
respect, involving patients and families in healthcare decisions, and
treating patients as people.
Debasish Roychowdhury, Head of Sanofi Oncology, and David Meeker,
President and CEO of Genzyme, warmly praised Dr. Zawacki and this year’s
other nominees for embodying Ken Schwartz’s deeply held belief that what
matters most during an illness is the human connection between
patients and their caregivers.
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare (www.theschwartzcenter.org)
was founded in 1995 by Ken Schwartz, a Boston healthcare attorney who
died of lung cancer at the age of 40 and found that what mattered to him
most as a patient was the compassionate care he received from his
caregivers. He established the Schwartz Center just days before his
death to ensure that all patients and families receive compassionate
care.
About Genzyme, a Sanofi Company
Genzyme has pioneered the development and delivery of transformative
therapies for patients affected by rare and debilitating diseases for
over 30 years. We accomplish our goals through world-class research and
with the compassion and commitment of our employees. With a focus on
rare diseases and multiple sclerosis, we are dedicated to making a
positive impact on the lives of the patients and families we serve. That
goal guides and inspires us every day. Genzyme’s portfolio of
transformative therapies, which are marketed in countries around the
world, represents groundbreaking and life-saving advances in medicine.
As a Sanofi company, Genzyme benefits from the reach and resources of
one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, with a shared
commitment to improving the lives of patients. Learn more at www.genzyme.com.
About Sanofi Oncology
Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and Vitry-sur-Seine, France,
Sanofi Oncology is dedicated to translating science into effective
therapeutics that address unmet medical needs for cancer and organ
transplant patients. Starting with a deep understanding of the disease
and the patient, Sanofi Oncology employs innovative approaches to drug
discovery and clinical development, with the ultimate goal of bringing
the right medicines to the right patients to help them live healthier
and longer lives. We believe in the value of partnerships that combine
our internal scientific expertise with that of industry and academic
experts. Our portfolio includes 10 marketed products and more than 15
investigational compounds in clinical development, including small
molecules and biological agents.
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops
and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi
has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth
platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs,
consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new
Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York
(NYSE: SNY).
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