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MD receives award for collaboration, empathy by Heather Woolwine Public Relations When a woman searches for a physician to provide her gynecological care, she strives to find someone she can talk to and trust with any issue that affects her reproductive and overall health. A sensitive and collaborative physician is especially important to that individual when she receives a cancer diagnosis.   Pam Smith, R.N., right, reads Dr. Matthew Kohler's winning nomination as he looks on. Matthew Kohler, M.D., gynecological oncology surgeon, is such a person. On July 18, Kohler received the Monthly Magnetic MD, or M-cubed, award that  recognizes physicians who exhibit excellence in patient care and collaboration with nursing staff.     The Nurse Alliance Leadership Council developed the award to honor outstanding physicians deemed by their peers, colleagues, and patients as “a cut above other physicians” as part of MUSC’s continuous pursuit of excellence, said Pam Smith, R.N., Nurse Alliance chair and Children’s Emergency Department clinical operations coordinator.     The physician selected  each month can be nominated by a patient or peer for providing excellence in practice. Paul Underwood, M.D., Obstetrics-Gynecology, acknowledged Kohler as a “fantastic physician; one who you would like taking care of you.”     Kohler's nomination described him as “very attentive to all aspects of a patient’s care and he teaches patients and their family members about cancer diagnoses, hospital treatment, and follow up care.” The nomination  defined his practice as cautious and dutiful, as well as thorough and complete.   He was cited for valuing nurses’ input for patients’ plans of care and as treating them with professional respect. “Dr. Kohler is very warm and genuine. You feel like you could call on him anytime,” his peers said.   At the award ceremony, colleagues depicted a compassionate and professional physician who is always willing to take extra time to educate a staff member, patient, or family. A staff nurse recounted a recent example of his dedication in his nomination.     “Dr. Kohler exhibited compassion along with his professionalism when he personally walked to the TCU [transitional care unit] to provide an unpleasant medical diagnosis to a patient and her family. He thoroughly discussed the situation with her, including treatment options, risks and benefits, etc., in an unhurried manner. He allowed time for questions and explained the situation in layman’s terms. He expressed his sorrow at the unanticipated change in the patient’s previous prognosis. I had never met Dr. Kohler before, but had heard from staff that he was coming to the unit and was impressed that he would come to the unit to see the patient instead of having the patient go to the clinic. The social worker and I asked if we could accompany him and he pleasantly agreed. I would personally recommend Dr. Kohler to anyone who would require his services. The patient and her sister expressed their gratitude for Dr. Kohler’s care and empathy for the patient,” she said.     Each month, nominations are submitted via the intranet at http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/formsToolbox/DocAward/. A subgroup of the leadership council considers nominations following a process to remove identifiers and ensure fairness. The nominations are restarted at the beginning of the month, so if a physician does not win during a particular month, then staff may nominate him or her again.     Recipients of the award receive a certificate recognizing their achievement, as well as a bag of M&Ms. “Typically, in the medical community, these initials are seen in a negative way because they mean morbidity and mortality,” Smith said. “Physicians who present at M&M are typically in the hot seat during their presentation because of the complex issues involved, so to put a positive spin on these typically negative initials, we present them with the bag of candy.”     Friday, July 28, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.