Dr. Mark Navaid, internal medicine physician with Scotland Memorial Hospital has been nominated for the 2009 Harold Alper MD Humanitarian Award.

Each year the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga and Erlanger Health System nominates residents and fellows who have consistently demonstrated exemplary compassion for patients and colleagues, community service, and humanitarian qualities during their residency or fellowship.

Dr. Navaid has completed a year-long fellowship in palliative and hospice care at Tennessee State University in Chattanooga. He is extremely proud on earning this nomination, “Only those residents and fellows who have consistently demonstrated the qualities of integrity, respect and compassion in the care of patients and families throughout residency training are nominated for the Harold Alper MD Humanitarian Award. It is such an honor to have earned this nomination and been considered for this award.”

Comments from the award nomination include: “Dr. Navaid was recognized as one of those physicians who has been honest, courteous, and responsive to patient wishes as well as respectful of the patient’s need for information and autonomy. He earned the trust of his patients and provided empathic care. His rapport with patients and their families demonstrated a sympathetic understanding of the interaction between health needs and socio-economic factors. He also demonstrated an appreciation of particular issues surrounding cultural and ethnic differences.”

Palliative and hospice care is a fast-growing specialty. Palliative care physicians specialize in the relief of the pain, symptoms and stress of those chronically ill. While patient comfort is the main goal, palliative care can be of benefit to both patients and their families. This type of care is appropriate at any point in an illness and can be provided at the same time as treatment.

Dr. Navaid explains that palliative care helps to relieve a patient’s suffering as well as treating the side effects of illnesses. “Patients deserve to be treated as a whole – not just their disease but their symptoms and side effects that come with the disease as well. A palliative care physician assists in providing insight into physical, emotional, or even spiritual care.”

Dr. Navaid completed his fellowship in July and is back fulltime at his Laurinburg practice.