The Compassionate Care Initiative exists to advance compassionate care as a professional work ethic in healthcare and a defining value of University of Virginia’s School of Nursing.  As a moral virtue, compassion means recognizing another person’s suffering and taking steps to alleviate it.  At CCI, we recognize that not only patients are suffering, but so are health workers and organizations.  As a result, society as a whole suffers too. 

In this context, CCI takes action by serving as a safe harbor for understanding challenges, a center for excellence in thought leadership and education, and a catalyst for positive changes in healthcare. Together, we strive to deliver on the promise of compassionate care. 

Our Vision. The Compassionate Care Initiative envisions safe and high-functioning healthcare work and learning environments where all embody compassion in their work. 

Our Mission. Through education, research and outreach, CCI grows: well-being, collaboration, leadership, healthy work and learning environments, and compassionate care.

Our Purpose. Our purpose is to:

• Explore and understand the means through which health workers develop, renew, and sustain compassionate care.
• Foster and teach skills that support students and health workers to overcome challenges, to care and advocate for themselves and their teams, and to provide safe and exceptional care for their patients.
• Inspire students, faculty, staff, clinicians, and community members to use their voices, take compassionate action, and lead change in healthcare from the bedside to systems and to society.

Note: Consistent with the US Surgeon General’s 2022 Advisory, we define “health workers” inclusively as all people engaged in work to protect and improve the health of individuals, communities, and populations.  These include healthcare faculty, staff, and students, clinicians and public health professionals, those who assist in operating healthcare facilities, as well as friends, families, and communities who care for others.