A Connecticut health care nonprofit is on a mission to bring more compassion to the patient experience, which they say will lead to better outcomes and decreased costs.

The Patient is U (TIPU) Foundation was started by renown head and neck surgeon Dr. KJ Lee. Its goal is for patients to receive compassionate care and have health care workers practice greater compassion toward patients, colleagues and themselves.

"Compassion is the base on which everything needs to be built," says Claudio Pannunzio, a TPIU board member.

Earlier this week, those who have promoted that mindset were honored at the foundation's awards dinner.

"It could be you and so you want to make sure that you're carrying forth how you would want to be treated in all the work that you do every day. When you practice these kinds of activities the outcomes for patients are better, they get well sooner, they feel happier about the care that they're receiving," says Kathleen Silard, president of Stamford Health.