Now in its 32nd year, Pennsylvania Hospital’s annual Emil and Lynn Hubschman Award is presented to an exemplary individual who represents the very best of the hospital. Lynn Hubschman, who served as director of Social Work Services until 1986, promoted the highest standards of professionalism and fostered an exceptional attitude of caring. Though the Hubschmans were unable to attend this year’s virtual celebration — which was delayed due to COVID-19 — their continuing support has ensured that these crucial principles live on as hallmarks of PAH.
The 2020 winner was Rabie Shanti, DMD, MD, a surgeon with dual appointments in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery. Shanti, who joined the PAH team in 2016, also serves as the vice chair for equity, diversity and inclusion for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and is a senior fellow at Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.
“I say this from the bottom of my heart: This doesn’t feel like a ‘me’ award, but an ‘us’ award,” Shanti said. “The poet Kahlil Gibran said, ‘Work is love made visible.’ I have the privilege of working with people that love what they do, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity to do what I love every day.”
Though his nominations abounded with compliments, one of the main themes was his commitment to empowering every member of the team. “Every single time Dr. Shanti comes to the floor, he says hello, addresses you by name, and finds the nurse working with his patients that day. He specifically requests your presence during his visits so you can be part of a true collaborative process,” wrote Frank Visco, BSN, RN, RN-BC, a nurse on 6 Schiedt. “It’s hard to explain just how valuable all of this is and how much it affects team spirit and engagement.”
Physician assistant Jenean Lane, PA-C, also shared a moving story that illustrates Shanti’s devotion to his patients: “He recently had a patient leave to go to hospice. He held her hand and comforted her, and I had to hold back tears when she said thank you over and over. When he said that he is dedicating his life to continuing to study and care for patients like her, she said that he made her feel like her life mattered. He is inspirational and makes me want to be a better person and provider.”
As James Kearney, MD, chair of Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, noted, many Hubschman Award winners are recognized after decades of service at the hospital. Within just five years, though, Shanti has established himself as an exceptional provider and a “collegial, kind, dedicated, professional, and humble” colleague. “All of us are fortunate to work with such an outstanding individual who elevates us by his example.”