Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Named Caring Science Affiliate by Watson Caring Science Institute

July 2017

Boulder, CO – Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI) and Dr. Jean Watson are proud to announce the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Houston Texas, has been named a National Caring Science System ™of WCSI.

The designation recognizes Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center’s exemplary integration of caring theory and leadership commitment to offer informed Caring Science practices, to their veterans. Whilst many of the 448 National VA Hospitals are using Watson Caring Science theory in their centers, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center is only the fourth VA Medical Centre to have received ‘National Caring Science’ recognition status. The other VA hospitals with this designation are Washington DC, Atlanta, and James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa.

Kelly Irving, Associate Director Patient Care Services, of Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center said: “We are delighted to be recognized as a WCSI National Caring Science System™. By integrating the WCSI ethos of Caring Science into everything we do shows we are committed to providing outstanding caring science for patients, family and staff.”

Jean Watson, Founder and Director of WCSI said: “Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has shown their commitment towards authentic, deep-rooted and sustainable Caring Science. We are thrilled to welcome the organization as a National Caring Science System™ to further develop the emerging field of Caring Science.”

To become a National Caring Science System™, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center demonstrated to WCSI the authentically, deep-rooted and sustainable commitment to integrating Caring Science to transform and broaden whole person health and healing for its staff, patients, families and the surrounding community.

About Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI)

The WSCI is an international non-profit organization that advances the philosophies, theories and practices of Human Caring/Caring Science. It was founded by Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, who serves as founder and director. Focusing on research, education, praxis and legacy, the institute aims to widen the development and understanding of Caring Science to inform our notion of quality care and healing environments. Currently there are over 400 hospitals throughout the USA with many other partner Healthcare systems globally using the WCSI theory. There are now over 350 WCSI trained practitioner leaders or ‘Caritas Coaches®’ throughout the world. Texts on Watson’s theory of caring is taught in Universities worldwide and translated into over 7 languages.

To become a National Caring Science System™ of WCSI, an organization must demonstrate specific criteria related to authentic human caring-healing practices for its whole community. For more information, please visit www.watsoncaringscience.org.


About Jean Watson

Jean Watson is a Distinguished Professor Emerita and Dean Emerita of the University of Colorado Denver, College of Nursing, where she held the Endowed Chair in Caring Science at the University of Colorado Denver and Health Sciences Center. She is the founder of the original Center for Human Caring in Colorado and an American Academy of Nursing Fellow. Watson also is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the National Fetzer Institute Norman Cousins Award, an International Kellogg Fellowship in Australia, a Fulbright Research and Lecture Award in Sweden, and six international honorary doctorate degrees. Watson is the author of more than 100 publications in Caring Science and of more than 30 books on the Science of Human Caring™, including the classic: Nursing. The Philosophy and Science of Caring which identifies the 10 core “Caritas Processes®’, universals of human caring, necessary for studying and implementing a model of Caring Science in practice. This work restores the deep-spiritual dimensions of Love with caring-healing as the foundation for preparing a new level of practitioners in Caring Science/Caritas HealthCare.

About Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston is a care facility partnered with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Its Mission Statement is ‘To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honouring the men and women who are America’s veterans’. For more information, please visit www.houston.va.gov.

Contact

Watson Caring Science Institute
4450 Arapahoe Avenue, Ste 100
Boulder, CO 80303 USA
WCSI Voicemail System: 303-546-7970
info@watsoncaringscience.org

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Jean Watson, Founder and Director, Watson Caring Science Institute

Kelly Irving, Associate Director Patient Care Services, of Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center