St. Margaret's Hospital Guild, in partnership with Wishard Health Services, has established a new program at Wishard, called EMBRACE (Encouragine Meaning and Balance in a Renewing and Comforting Environment.) EMBRACE moves beyond the traditional support group model of weekly meetings. With childcare provided, EMBRACE utilizes a corps of volunteers who serve as personal one-on-one “support partners.” In addition to these weekly support groups facilitated by healthcare professionals, support partners will help women with transportation needs, assist with obtaining items such as wigs and breast prosthetics and provide additional guidance, helping to ease the burden of the fight against cancer. The corps of support partners will be composed of both cancer survivors and women whose lives have been touched by cancer. These volunteers will be women who understand the cancer journey and can truly partner with newly diagnosed women, helping them through the overwhelming emotions and information that come with a cancer diagnosis. Support partners will provide encouragement and address many of the concerns confronting women with cancer – from communication, insecurity, body image and relationships to managing stress and balancing treatment with work and family life.
As if a diagnosis of cancer isn’t frightening enough, the majority of women receiving treatment at Wishard Health Services are already faced with significant challenges in life, including limited financial means and, often, lack of health insurance. Through the use of its dedicated support partners, EMBRACE will provide free services that literally wrap around these women, who many times have no other support systems to count on.
Women who are diagnosed with cancer experience overwhelming emotional and social challenges. No woman should face cancer alone.
STATEMENT FROM WISHARD MAY 12
- In February 08, EMBRACE was nominated for the prestigious Indianapolis Business Journal, Health Care Heroes Award. EMBRACE was selected as one of three finalists in the Community Achievement in Health Care category. Now in its 9th year, the Indianapolis Business Journal's, Health Care Hero award program solicits nominations from the public for five categories: Community Achievement in Health Care, Advancements in Health Care, Physician, Non-Physician and Volunteer. The finalists and winners for each category were chosen by a judging committee comprised of members from all areas of health care.
-the October,
2008 issue of Indianapolis Woman magazine featured an article titled, "Surviving
for the Long Term', written by DeAnna R. Wesley, Director of EMBRACE. The
article highlighted the importance of the issues surrounding survivorship, and
suggestions for success in survivorship.
-the September, 2008 issue of "The
Visitor, An inside look at the VNS (Visiting Nurse Service) Healthcare System",
Newsletter featured an article about EMBRACE. The article described our program,
and highlighted our history, creation, development and many services.
-EMBRACE has participated in several local Health Fairs to further share
information about our program and many services.
-In December, 2008, EMBRACE
was featured on WTLC's Medically Speaking live radio program. During this
program, EMBRACE was introduced and our program and services were highlighted.
-EMBRACE was recently nominated for the NAPH (National Association of Public Hospitals) Safety Net Award in the Reducing Health Care Disparities Category. We hope to hear the results of this nomination fairly soon.
-During the entire month of April, in recognition of National Cancer Control Month, EMBRACE offered a workshop series every week for patients, survivors, staff and anyone else whose life has been touched by cancer. The workshop topics were: Introduction to Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Yoga, Dance Movement Therapy and Belly Dance, Meditation, and Creative Expressions (Art). This has been a very successful and rewarding experience for many!
-Recently EMBRACE was nominated by the community for the IBCA (Indiana Breast Cancer Alliance) excellence in Breast Cancer-Patient Navigation Award. On April 21, 2009, EMBRACE was announced the winner and was presented with this prestigious award from the IBCA at an event held at the Indianapolis Artsgarden, called "Pink Night; Breaking Down the Barriers."
-We now have our own EMBRACE Prescription Assistance Program where patients who qualify are provided assistance with prescription drug co-pays/expenses within the Wishard Pharmacys.
-The EMBRACE coffee bar is now up and running in the Special Medicine Clinic! This is a favorite of our patients! They are able to get free coffee (regular and decaf), as well as hot chocolate and hot tea.
-We are continuing to collect books and magazines for patients. This has been a huge hit with our patients!
-DeAnna has completed the "I Can Cope" training with the American Cancer Society, and is now certified to teach the course to our patients.
-We are now in the process of working with the Comfort Foods Organization to provide frozen meals/food for our patients to take home with them from their chemotherapy appts. We will be holding our first 'event' for this on May 6!
from Wishard Bulletin
EMBRACE honored by NAPH
Wishard EMBRACE program received a National Association of Public Hospitals (NAPH) Honorable Mention award in the Reducing Health Care Disparities category at the 2009 Safety Net Awards held on June 26. The awards ceremony took place in conjunction with the NAPH Annual Conference.
Funded through a generous grant from the St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild, EMBRACE is a free program to all women with cancer at Wishard. It offers supportive wraparound services which include, but are not limited to, individual counseling, access to much needed community resources such as transportation, wigs/bras/prosthesis, access to free financial and prescription assistance, free professional photography for patients and their families and much more.
In addition to the awards ceremony, hospital leaders heard from national experts and shared information about various topics such as health reform, effective uses of health information technology and improving the patient experience. Congratulations EMBRACE!
from Wishard Bulletin
Hats Off EMBRACE program honored
The EMBRACE program was recently honored with the Excellence in Breast Cancer and Patient Navigation Award at the Indiana Breast Cancer Alliance’s Pink Night ~ Breaking Down the Barriers. DeAnna Wesley, program director, was presented with the award at the Indianapolis Artsgarden.
EMBRACE is a free program to all women with cancer at Wishard. It offers supportive wraparound services which include, but are not limited to, individual counseling, access to much needed community resources such as transportation, wigs/bras/prosthesis, access to free financial and prescription assistance, free professional photography for patients and their families and much more.
from Wishard Bulletin
