UMMC pediatrician honored.

Dr. Rkk Boyte, professor of pediatrics and division chief of pediatric palliative medicine at Batson Children's Hospital, has been named one of six finalists for the 2015 Schwartz Center National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year Award.

The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a national nonprofit leading the movement to bring compassion to every patient-caregiver interaction, selected six health-care providers throughout the U.S. for the prestigious award.

Boyte has worked at Batson for more than 20 years and spent the first 16 of those in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. In 2013, Boyte spearheaded efforts to create a fellowship program in pediatric hospice and palliative medicine, one of the first in the country. The program is now hosting its second fellow.

He also led efforts to bring the Schwartz Center Rounds program to UMMC. The bi-monthly event is a multidisciplinary forum in which caregivers discuss difficult emotional and social issues that arise in caring for patients. UMMC is the only place in the state that offers the program.

This year marks the Schwartz Center's 20th anniversary and the national expansion of the award, which was established to elevate excellence in compassionate care. For the past 16 years, the Schwartz Center has honored outstanding health-care providers who display extraordinary devotion and compassion in caring for patients and families.