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Two Lehigh Valley Health System Medical Residents Receive Lehigh County
Medical Society’s 2020 Humaneness in Medicine Award
Every year, the Lehigh County Medical Society (LCMS) presents its Humaneness in Medicine Award to one or more Lehigh County medical residents or fellows who have best displayed the ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and health care colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence. In 2021, LCMS is proud to announce that Lisa Kurth, M.D. and Michael Chen, M.D. have been selected as the 2020 Humaneness Award recipients.
Dr. Lisa Kurth is a surgical resident at the Lehigh Valley Health Network who is described as “an advocate of values-based and patient-centered care.” An active listener, she focused on the needs and preferences of her patients and their families, and advocates for those needs within the medical system. One of only a few residents trained in physician wellness and support, Dr. Kurth also serves as a peer-to-peer mentor. And as a trustee of the Lehigh Valley Health Network Resident Association, she routinely emphasizes physician wellness in her work and presentations. During the pandemic, Dr. Kurth has been serving as a COVID front line caregiver in the ICU, volunteering to handle overflow lines and ICU care.
In nominating Dr. Kurth, a colleague wrote: “Not only is she an excellent physician, but her effective leadership, mentorship and ability to connect with patients and convey compassion make her a role model for medical students and residents across all specialties. As I progress in my own career, I will strive to give my patients the same level of care I have witnessed from Dr. Kurth.”
Michael Chen is a 2nd year adult psychiatry resident with the Lehigh Valley Health Network. Nominated by his residency program director, Dr. Chen is described as a physician who excelled at his clinical rotations and has exhibited particular enthusiasm in inpatient psychiatric care. He is the kind of doctor who spends the extra time talking with patients and their family members to gather the necessary information to properly assess the patient, seeks advice from other physicians, and develops care plans to provide the best possible level of care and support. He has become a mentor to other residents, and is the first to volunteer to swap shifts to support residents who are ill. During the pandemic, he worked closely with other physicians to make sure his patients could be treated directly in the ER at times when the hospital was full and unable to take new patients.
Dr. Chen was nominated by his director of residency training, who describes him as a standout in terms of compassion. In describing Dr. Chen, she provided an example of a case where Dr. Chen worked closely to help a young patient and the patient’s mother by spending time getting both perspectives and that of an outpatient provider, and then seeking guidance from several physicians within the department to make sure he was developing the most appropriate and effective treatment plan.
LCMS is proud to have Dr. Kurth and Dr. Chen be the recipients of this important award.
Lehigh County Medical Society
Announces that it is accepting nominations for the Humaneness in Medicine Award
Nomination Deadline, February 1, 2022
The objective of the award is to highlight and reinforce the significance of humanistic qualities among residents and/or fellows of all specialties in Lehigh County. The existence of a caring, compassionate culture in the educational environment serves as positive reinforcement to prospective physicians of the desirability of such virtues in the doctor-patient relationship.
This award is presented to the resident or fellow who has best displayed the Lehigh County Medical Society’s ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence.
Please click here to download the nomination form.
