Guiding Commitments Compassionate healthcare organizations reliably enable the attributes, skills, behaviors and abilities of compassionate individuals to thrive. The value and importance of compassion and compassionate care are embedded in the cultures of such organizations, shaped by their clinical and administrative leaders, and expressed in their policies, processes and governance. The overall commitment is that individuals, and the organisations, institutions and systems in which they work, value compassionate care enough to use it as a lens to sharpen their focus on the provision of humanistic, high-quality care. The purpose of the commitments that follow is to ensure that all doctors and other healthcare professionals are able to provide compassionate care to all those whose circumstances and needs may require it.1. Commitment to Strengthening Compassionate Healthcare Leadership Healthcare leaders who embrace and model compassion foster cultures of compassionate care in their organizations and institutions. They express the value and benefits of compassionate care, motivate others by example, mobilize resources, provide training and a support infrastructure, and help others understand their role in relation to this common goal (10). They use tools to evaluate organizational climate and effectiveness in providing compassionate care and are committed to its continuous improvement (11). Leaders at all levels within and across organizations and systems must engage in open dialogue about the importance of compassion, educate others how they promote an organizational culture of compassion, and create incentives around the shared purpose of providing compassionate care , centered on the patient and family (12).2. Com...... half of the document ...... are (23), (24), (25), (26)). It takes time for patients to share their concerns and seek information, for doctors to listen and respond, and for both to collaboratively develop a shared understanding and prevention and treatment plans (27). However, the percentage of doctors who say they no longer have enough time to meet their patients' needs has increased significantly ((28), (29)). In part, this reflects the increasing number of tasks to be performed ( ( 30 ), ( 31) ). Doctors, feeling short on time or unprepared to manage their emotions, often overlook clues that might uncover the source of their patients' distress ( (32) , (33) ). Those engaged in performance improvement and care redesign must prioritize, not minimize, personal interactions and must support and reward taking the time to respond to the needs, concerns, and distress of patients and families..