HEALING CAREGIVER LOSS

Three Day Residential Workshop for Associates Navigating Grief

Taking care of those in need provides a profound sense of gratification; it also takes a toll on the caregiver. Recognizing that many Montefiore associates serve as caregivers both in their professional and personal lives, Montefiore’s Healing Arts program is doing more to ease the burden of stress on those caring for the sick.

Healing Arts and Human Resources have joined forces to offer a three-day Healing Loss residential workshop at Stony Point Conference Center in Stony Point, New York. Offered several times a year, the workshop is led by Peter A. Selwyn, MD, MPH, Chair, Family and Social Medicine. As founder of the Healing Loss Program, Dr. Selwyn was moved to offer this program based on his own work in treating those affected by AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses for more than 30 years.

“I WANT TO SHARE THE HEALING LOSS PROGRAM WITH AS MANY OTHER MONTEFIORE ASSOCIATES AS POSSIBLE,” HE SAYS. “THE FACT THAT MONTEFIORE MAKES THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT IN ITS PEOPLE IS THE MOST WONDERFUL GIFT.” —PETER A. SELWYN, MD, MPH

The workshops have been so successful that nine graduates of the program are now teaching others how to cope with loss. Known as the Healing Angels, they now volunteer to assist caregivers experiencing grief.

Patricia Jackson, Health Educator at Montefiore’s Adolescent AIDS program and a Healing Angel, believes what is taught at the workshops is applicable to anyone with direct patient interaction. “The program has a positive and tangible effect on how we process our daily work in treating patients, as well as in our interactions with our co-workers. We are more attuned to them and better equipped to cope with the sometimes emotionally challenging nature of our work,” she says.

The next Healing Loss workshops are scheduled for October 19–21, 2016 and March 29–31, 2017.

Discover more about Healing Loss at www.montefiore.org/healingarts-loss-and-transition-workshop.

MONTEFIORE DOING MORE TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANT

“WHERE YOU LIVE SHOULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER YOU LIVE OR DIE WHILE WAITING FOR AN ORGAN.”

Did you know there are tens of thousands of Americans waiting for organ transplants today? Did you know that our nation’s organ allocation system makes an already dire situation worse by creating geographic disparities in access to donated organs?

That’s why Montefiore is partnering with the Coalition for Organ Distribution Equity (C.O.D.E.), a group of stakeholders and patients dedicated to improving patient access to organs for transplant. Reforms will improve patient outcomes nationwide. In honor of Donate Life Month, Montefiore hosted numerous events across the health system in April aimed at building awareness and increasing patient and associate registration to the New York state organ donor registry.

Learn how you can get involved in ensuring greater equity in transplant policy at www.transplantequity.org.

UNITED HOSPITAL FUND HONORS MONTEFIORE VOLUNTEERS

Six Montefiore volunteers were recently honored for doing more for our patients and their families. Congratulations to Janet S. Lipson, David A. Wolffe, Sandra B. Martensen, Odell Griggs, Shannel A. Foy and Anna Barnicle, who were recognized by the United Hospital Fund at the 2016 Hospital Auxiliary and Volunteer Achievement Awards at the Waldorf Astoria. Thank you for your exemplary service.

From left to right: Delores Meredith; Shannel Foy, Montefiore volunteer; Sherri Oustalet, Director, Volunteer & Student Services, Montefiore; Meghan D. Kelly, MSEd, CCLS, Director, Phoebe H. Stein Child Life Program and GWN Explainer Program, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM); Rhona Gilbert; Sandee Martensen, Montefiore volunteer, CHAM, and Roger Martensen.