PHILADELPHIA (March 7, 2012) – Fox Chase Cancer Center has been selected as a candidate for two LIVESTRONG Community Impact Projects—a program created to bring proven cancer support projects to communities across the United States. Hundreds of qualified hospitals, cancer centers, universities, and non-profits from across the United States applied to be part of four different projects— Creative Center: Hospital Artist in Residence, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, Advancing Joint Commission Palliative Care Certification in Cancer Centers, and Pillars4Life. Applicants with the top votes per region will receive a financial award of support to replicate and implement one of these sustainable programs dedicated to supporting families fighting cancer. Finalists will be determined through an online voting campaign taking place on the LIVESTRONG website beginning today and running through Friday, March 23 at 6:00 p.m. (ET).
The two programs that Fox Chase is in the running to receive support for are the Creative Center: Hospital Artist in Residence and Advancing Joint Commission Palliative Care Certification in Cancer Centers.
The Creative Center: Hospital Artist in Residence project, which was created in 1994, has been dedicated to bringing the arts to people with cancer and chronic illness through all stages of life as a way to help them discover their own creative resources while meeting the challenges of diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The program will work bedside and in small group settings with men, women and children in oncology units, bone marrow transplant units, intensive care/respiratory units, hospice and palliative care programs.
“Art has a strong presence on the Fox Chase campus. We have a curated art collection and, in January 2012, dedicated a 250-square foot mural that incorporates the mosaic artwork of our patients, caregivers and staff,” says Tina McDonnell, director of volunteer services at Fox Chase. “The sheer joy patients experienced as part of this project, and the interest from our doctors and clinical staff, demonstrates that this is a perfect fit for our comprehensive care model.”
The Advancing Joint Commission Palliative Care Certification in Cancer Centers project is designed to set standards for and acknowledge hospitals providing state-of-the-art palliative care services that relieve symptoms and stress of serious illness and improve quality of life for patients. The Center to Advance Palliative Care will provide tools and training to 20 hospitals and cancer centers across the country to assist in their efforts to qualify for the Certification.
“The Pain and Palliative Care Program at Fox Chase was founded in 1982 and was one of the first palliative care programs developed within a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center,” says Michael H. Levy, MD, PhD, medical director of the Pain and Palliative Care Program at Fox Chase. “We believe that our program—which begins at the time of diagnosis and continues through survivorship, or until death and into the family’s bereavement period—would be enhanced greatly if we were to receive this Certification.”
To vote for Fox Chase, please visit Creative Center: Hospital Artist in Residence project and Advancing Joint Commission Palliative Care Certification in Cancer Centers project. Each person is allowed one vote per category.
The 2012 Community Impact Project will offer nearly $1.4 million in implementation awards to 90 finalists. This represents the largest number of financial awards LIVESTRONG has granted in a single year since its founding in 1997. LIVESTRONG is committed to supporting community organizations in their efforts to help cancer survivors face the challenges and changes that come with cancer and has invested more than $70 million in community-centered organizations.
About LIVESTRONG/Lance Armstrong Foundation
LIVESTRONG serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action against the world's leading cause of death. Created as the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the organization is now known publicly by its powerful brand -- LIVESTRONG -- and is a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. Known for its iconic yellow wristband, LIVESTRONG has become a symbol of hope and inspiration to people affected by cancer around the world. Since its inception, the organization has raised $450 million for the fight against cancer. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.org.