Generous Gifts Offer Comfort to Fox Chase Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

PHILADELPHIA, PA (December 16, 2014)—When cancer patients are preparing for chemotherapy, frequently referred to as “chemo,” they are initially concerned about managing the side effects of treatment. What many patients don’t consider, that is until they actually go through it, is how many hours they are going to spend sitting in an infusion room chair. The doctors and nurses at Fox Chase Cancer Center understand the importance of this aspect of treatment, which is why they implored help from donors and staff last spring to replace the current infusion room chairs that had been in use for more than 10 years.

Their efforts resulted in the installation of 45 new infusion room chairs on Friday, December 12. The chairs feature a foot rest, two side tables that swivel, easy access for patients to move back and forth and an overall wider space to receive treatment.

“The new chairs are more comfortable and have the space I need to play my game,” says Eugene D. Fitzpatrick, a multiple myeloma patient who plays a regular game of chess with his driver/friend John, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, while getting chemotherapy in the infusion room at Fox Chase. “As long as I have a game going on I try to stay awake and the new chair helps make that easier to do.”

Funding for the chairs came from a number of special pledges made at Fox Chase’s inaugural In Vino Vita Benefit and Wine Auction this spring, which attracted 240 attendees and offered them the opportunity to participate in an elegant and festive live auction. Leading the effort for the new infusion room chairs was Fox Chase President and CEO Richard I. Fisher, MD, with an opening bid.  

“One of our primary responsibilities as healthcare providers is to ensure that our patients are as comfortable as possible during cancer treatment,” shared Fisher. “When we considered the amount of time our patients spend in these chairs, we made this project a priority and I’m pleased to report that through the generous support of our donors, we raised enough to purchase a new chair to accommodate every patient.”

The second annual In Vino Vita Benefit and Wine Auction is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia. For more information on the event, visit vinovita.org.

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427

Resize Text

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427