Washington Health System

HELPing Patients BE THE VOICE If you are passionate about advocating for patients and are looking for a volunteer opportunity, consider joining Kathleen Engelmeier and her Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) team as an Advocate. PFCC Advocates give a few hours of their time weekly to sit on committees, as well as visit with patients and serve their needs, Engelmeier says. PFCC Advocates meet every third Thursday from 5:30–7 p.m. to discuss ongoing and future projects. Partnering with the Ruth York Morgan Health Education Learning Place (HELP), the PFCC headquarters offers education-based learning materials to patients and their families looking for information about available support groups or a specific diagnosis. Ready to serve your neighbor as a PFCC Advocate? Call (724) 223-3175 to speak with Engelmeier. PHILANTHROPISTS JIM AND NANCY CAMERON KNOW THAT PROVIDING PATIENTS WITH ACCURATE AND FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IS ONE WAY TO HONOR THE LEGACY NANCY'S MOTHER, RUTH YORK MORGAN, LEFT BEHIND IN THE WAKE OF HER FIGHT WITH CANCER. Learn Before the internet, researching a medical diagnosis took time and great amounts of energy and focus, all of which are in limited supply for someone dealing with an illness. Ruth knew this burden well, because she researched information about her diagnosis as her own advocate before passing away in 1998. Now, thanks to Ruth's daughter and son-in-law, patients have an educational resource on-site at Washington Health System. e Ruth York Morgan Health Education Learning Place (HELP) is a place where patients and their families can get information about a variety of health topics. ere, Nancy Grandovic, RN, BSN, MEd, CHPN, is available to assist with information requests. "Patients call, email or stop by, looking for information about medical conditions, procedures and preventive health," Grandovic says. While specific medical advice is not offered, Grandovic does provide health-related information from credible resources. e Camerons have frequented the center. "You can't trust everything you read on the internet," Grandovic says. "Knowing you have a place to go where a registered nurse provides accurate information is reassuring. It's a safety net for patients and their loved ones." » THE RUTH YORK MORGAN HEALTH EDUCATION LEARNING PLACE (HELP) IS LOCATED ON THE THIRD FLOOR AT THE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL IN THE MEDICAL LIBRARY. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT WASHINGTONHOSPITAL.ORG/SERVICES/HELP/ OR CALL (724) 223-3144. S U M M E R 2017 | connections whs.org 15

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