Two Days Left: Help Clara Maass Win a Livestrong Grant

Clara Maass Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, has been selected as a candidate for the LIVESTRONG Foundation Community Impact Project, which offers $1.2 million in funding to bring proven cancer support programs to communities across the U.S. Finalists will be determined through an online voting campaign that begins today at Vote.LIVESTRONG.org and runs until 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 28. Sites with the top votes per region will receive financial awards of support to replicate and implement programs that have demonstrated success in improving the lives of people affected by cancer.

Clara Maass Medical Center has applied for funding from The LiveSTRONG Foundation for Advanced Certification for Palliative Care. The Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification for Palliative Care is designed to set standards in 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.

Clara Maass Medical Center is among hundreds of organizations still in contention for the award. If selected, Clara Maass Medical Center will use the awarded funds towards Advanced Certification and would expand its model to create an interdisciplinary palliative care team involving chaplains and social workers to provide emotional and spiritual support. An interdisciplinary team is essential to ensure treatment options are discussed in a timely manner with patients and their families.

CMMC’s palliative care initiatives are supported by Administration and nursing staff is empowered to identify patients for palliative and end of life care.

“We are thrilled to be selected as a candidate for the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s Community Impact Project,” said Jane Kessler, CFRE, Vice President, CMMC Foundation. “The LIVESTRONG Foundation and our foundation share a passion for inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer. CMMC’s core values include strong commitment to improving quality of life for all individuals especially those with serious illnesses. It is a never ending goal of ours to make a difference in the lives of cancer survivors and their families.”

Organizations chosen to implement one of the model programs will receive up to $15,000 to support the implementation.  They will also receive a toolkit consisting of facilitator manuals, participant materials and evaluation forms; training and support from the model program’s staff; access to additional tools and resources; and a full report on the historical replication of this program upon completion.

The financial awards provided by the 2012 LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project are currently being implemented at nearly 100 sites including hospitals, cancer centers, universities, and community-based organizations across the nation and will provide support to thousands of people affected by cancer upon completion.  The LIVESTRONG Foundation 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 $80 million in community-centered organizations.

For more information about the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s Community Impact Project, and to vote, visit Vote.LIVESTRONG.org. For more information about Clara Maass Medical Center, visit claramaassfoundation.org