Donations to the AdventHealth Foundation Great Lakes are enhancing the patient experience at AdventHealth Cancer Institute Hinsdale.
According to a news release. the donations have enabled the institute to provide customized patient education bags to cancer patients as they begin chemotherapy or radiation therapy at the facility.
Each bag includes a three-ring binder customized by a nurse navigator with information about the patient’s specific type of cancer, nutrition and wellness, and the potential side effects of the treatment the patient will be receiving, the release said. Each bag also includes a thermometer, water bottle, notebook, pen and information about spiritual care resources.
“Our patients are very grateful to have the information and items organized for them in the bag,” Kim Schram, director, clinical operations — oncology, for the institute, said in the release. “Hearing that you have a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, and the materials in the bag contain items that can ease some of patients’ concerns as they begin their journey to cancer survivorship. There is information specific to their diagnosis, which helps them participate in their treatment plan.”
The customized information in the binder can serve as a ready reference for patients during their doctor appointments, Schram said. They also can use the notebook and pen during appointments to take notes that they can review later, discuss with family members, and use to formulate questions for follow-up appointments.
Including a thermometer and water bottle in the bags makes it convenient for patients to track their temperature and to stay hydrated, two important components of self-care during cancer treatment, according to the release. Providing the information about spiritual care resources reflects AdventHealth’s commitment to treating the whole person _ body, mind and spirit, Schram said.
“We want to enhance our patients’ experience with us, and the materials in the bag speak to our mission and our commitment to each patient,” she said.
AdventHealth Great Lakes Region business residents helped Schram assemble 400 of the bags in late October, and the institute began distributing them to patients in mid-November, the release said. Plans call for using remaining funds from the foundation to distribute bags to an additional 300 patients.
Schram expressed her deep appreciation to the foundation and the donors whose generosity has enabled the institute to provide the bags for patients.
“It’s a great example of the wonderful things that are possible because of the foundation and its supporters and that directly benefit cancer patients,” she said.
With the institute treating about 1,200 new patients each year, Schram hopes that additional donations to the foundation allow the institute to continue providing the bags. Anyone interested in supporting the program through a donation should contact AdventHealth Foundation Executive Director Diane Morgan at 630-856-2004.
