Celebrating the Humanitarian Spirit at BWH

Celebrating the Humanitarian Spirit at BWH
Ron Walls, MD, BWH President Betsy Nabel, MD, Humanitarian Award winner Nawal Nour, MD, MPH, and Robert Barbieri, MD.

Every day, medical professionals of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital bring their passion for healing to patients in Boston and around the world.

Nawal Nour, MD, MPH, director of BWH’s African Women’s Health Center, is one such clinician, and her colleagues have taken notice. In November, Nour received the Hippocrates Society’s 2014 Humanitarian Award at their annual celebration. One of the highest honors bestowed by the hospitals’ faculty philanthropists, the Humanitarian Award recognizes Nour’s work to improve health care services for African immigrants and refugees through clinical care, teaching, and scholarship.

Robert Barbieri, MD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, noted at the event how faculty philanthropy allows vital programs like the African Women’s Health Center to flourish, and shows a shared commitment to the institution.

“Philanthropy played a key, catalytic role in starting the clinic,” he said. “As physicians, we feel strongly about the hospital’s mission, and it’s wonderful when our colleagues demonstrate their trust through their philanthropic support.”

After 20 years of working alongside Barbieri, Nour shares his sentiment. “Having the African Women’s Health Center housed here at the Brigham has been phenomenal,” she said. “I have found a family here. We feel a strong sense of belonging to the Brigham, and want to help move it forward for every generation.”

In that same spirit, the Hippocrates Society welcomed 49 new members this year, all BWH and BWFH medical or research faculty who has made a lifetime commitment of $10,000 or more to the hospital.

“The growth in the Hippocrates Society sends a strong message about how much we value the work we do here,” said Ron Walls, MD, newly appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of BWHC and former chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. “We encourage every physician and researcher to support the hospital. What better way is there to make a statement about the importance of our science and our clinical programs here at the Brigham than to support them ourselves?”