| BMH
Receives Komen Grant for Breast Cancer Education and
Treatment
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital recently received acknowledgement
of a grant from the Vermont-New Hampshire Affiliate
of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the amount of $29,785.
This grant money will be used for BMH breast cancer
education and treatment. BMH launched its Breast Care
Program in the Fall of 2005. The Program’s goal
is to improve women’s access to the full continuum
of breast care, from prevention to diagnosis and treatment.
The BMH Breast Care Program’s Medical Director,
Joseph Rosen, MD, along with the hospital Breast Care
Advisory Committee, provide oversight for the Program’s
Breast Care Specialist, Gloria Solar, RN, who interacts
with patients in many meaningful ways. A registered
nurse in the hospital oncology department, Solar is
trained in breast health and provides the necessary
education and support to women who are experiencing
breast health issues.
The hospital plans to use the Komen grant money for
the creation of an educational resource room and patient
education materials for patients with breast health
issues. This new resource will be housed in the new
BMH Outpatient Building in August when the hospital
Oncology Department and Women’s Imaging Services
moves into the top floor suites.
Once the new space in the Outpatient Building is open,
the BMH Breast Care Program plans to provide a wide
array of education materials including DVDs on germane
topics and access to the internet for patient research
purposes. Solar will also be available to women with
breast health issues for shared decision-making, particularly
for newly diagnosed patients. There will also be space
for a breast cancer survivors group to meet regularly.
The Komen grant money is also slated to be used for
complementary therapy for the post-treatment phase of
patient care including consultations with a naturopathic
physician, nutrition education, the use of supplements,
and yoga sessions.
The Komen grants are given specifically for the purpose
of saving lives and ending breast cancer forever by
empowering people, ensuring quality care for everyone,
and energizing science to find the cure. It was named
by the sister of Susan G. Komen who died of breast cancer.
Members of BMH staff regularly participate by raising
money for the race named after her which is held each
year locally during the summer in Manchester, Vermont.
BMH is also a sponsor of the event. In addition to funds
totaling more than $325,000 for local community programs
such as those granted to BMH for its Breast Care Program,
the VT-NH Affiliate is proud to have provided $108,450
for research in 2007.
The grant money was received in large part due to
the efforts of Tracy Boucher, grant writer for the BMH
Development Office. Boucher recently attended a five-day
workshop on grant writing training offered by The Grantsmanship
Center, a nationally recognized resource in grant writing.
It covered such topics as the components of a proposal,
researching funding sources, and writing and reviewing
proposals. According to Boucher, “The hands-on
practice that took theory and put it into practice was
something from which I benefited greatly.”
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is very appreciative
of the generous grant given to its Breast Care Program
by Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The hospital is grateful
that its patients will benefit from these resources.
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