Dr. Dillon Stein, director of the Division of Palliative Care at Butler Health System, earned a Cunniff-Dixon Physician Award from the Hastings Center this year. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Palliative care differs from hospice care in that physicians in a palliative department typically attempt to get a patient through a life-threatening condition, rather than aiding a patient as they approach the end of their life.

So when Dr. Dillon Stein, director of the Division of Palliative Care at Butler Health System, earned a Cunniff-Dixon Physician Award from the Hastings Center this year, he was happy for the opportunity to educate people about what palliative care is and why it matters.

“Palliative care has grown out of academic settings, and so I think what sticks out to me is the fact that Butler Health System is a community-based health system,” Stein said. “I am incredibly humbled that someone in palliative care from BHS could be selected and stand next to some of the people who are at academic and learning centers. For that reason alone, this is really special.”

The Hastings Center’s Cunniff-Dixon Physician Awards recognize five outstanding physicians in palliative care across the country every other year. The awards honor one senior physician, one mid-career physician and three early-career physicians, and this year the foundation added the Dr. Richard Payne Leadership Award, which honors physicians who work with vulnerable populations.

Stein, who has worked at BHS for about six years, is one of the three physicians being recognized in the early-career category.

The Hastings Center’s website includes five methods of criteria for physician award nominations, including technical competence, personal integrity, physician-patient dialogue, active engagement of friends and family, and ability to function well as part of a care team.

Dr. Kathy Selvaggi, chief community health officer for BHS, said she helped develop the palliative care department in 2015.

Having worked with Stein for several years, Selvaggi said his knowledge and attitude in running the department makes him a great choice for leading palliative care at BHS.

“He's a wonderful physician, a good person and it's a significant honor for BHS to have him on staff,” she said.

The awards include prizes of $15,000 for the early-career physicians and $25,000 for the senior and mid-career physicians. The Dr. Richard Payne Leadership Award and nursing awards will provide $25,000 for each of their honorees, according to the Hastings Center’s website.

Stein leads a staff of less than 10 people who each provide different services to patients in the palliative care department. They include a social worker, two physician assistants, a nurse and a medical assistant, as well as a volunteer chaplain.

According to Stein, care in the department is centered around meeting a patient where they are and providing whatever care they need. The goal is to get a patient out of the hospital in the best condition possible, which means department staffers take into account the emotional, financial and spiritual well-being of a patient, in addition to his medical health.

“We have a social worker for grief and bereavement helping connect people to community services,” Stein said. “We really try to do this 360-degree perspective for families trying to cope with serious illness ... We try to bring all of those things into our evaluation to make sure we get whatever supports they need.”

Selveggi said she hopes Stein’s recognition this year will bring more attention to its function.

“We help to manage people at the end of life, but also people who have intense symptoms. We often are an extra layer of support for parents and families,” Selvaggi said. “It's a needed service, and it has been well-received at BHS.”

While the work performed by palliative staff can be taxing, Stein said it is overall rewarding thanks to the patients and families who seek care in the department.

“I feel super fortunate to be in this environment,” Stein said. “We get the freedom to learn about some incredible people and have some incredible impact on them.”

Stein said he is humbled to be awarded by the Hastings Center, and hopes the recognition will bring more attention to palliative care and its function.

“My hope is with an award like this and opportunities like this — that sort of education is so necessary because we are still defining what we do and where we fit in all this,” Stein said. “One way to do that is to make sure the community knows our services are out there.”