SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
Saint Mary’s Palliative Care has been selected as a candidate for the LIVESTRONG® Community Impact Project, which was created to bring cancer support programs to communities across the United States. Finalists will be determined through an online voting campaign that ends on Friday, March 23. Applicants with the top votes per region will receive a financial award to replicate and implement a sustainable program dedicated to supporting families fighting cancer. Additionally, finalists will receive tools and resources from the Lance Armstrong Foundation, LIVESTRONG, a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people around the world living with cancer.
“We are thrilled and honored to be selected as a candidate for the Community Impact Project,” said Lindsey Dermid-Gray, community outreach and education coordinator at Saint Mary’s Hospice. “We share LIVESTRONG’s passion for inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer and look forward to working together to make a difference in the lives of cancer survivors and their families.”
Hundreds of qualified hospitals, cancer centers, universities and non-profits from across the country applied to be part of four award programs being offered. Saint Mary’s Palliative Care applied for the Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification for Palliative Care, which was designed to set standards 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.
Additionally, award winners will receive funds to obtain tools and training to ensure the continuation of their provision of the best possible care for people with serious illness. Palliative care is designed to prevent or treat the symptoms of the disease, side effects caused by the treatment, and psychological, social and spiritual problems related to the disease. Saint Mary’s Palliative Care currently cares for nearly 100 patients on both an inpatient and outpatient basis.
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 in the history of the foundation. 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.
Voting ends on Friday, March 23 at 5 p.m. CST. For more information about the LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project and to vote, visit http://vote.livestrong.org/.
For more information about Saint Mary’s Palliative Care, call 770-7256.
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 www.LIVESTRONG.org.
About Saint Mary’s
Saint Mary’s Network is a fully-integrated, faith-based health system in Reno, Nev. founded in 1908 by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael. The network is comprised of Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, an acute-care hospital, providing inpatient, outpatient and wellness services; Saint Mary’s Health Plans, a statewide insurance provider with more than 40,000 members; and Saint Mary’s Medical Group, a network of physicians and other health professionals offering primary and urgent care, retail clinics and specialty healthcare. A member of Catholic Healthcare West, Saint Mary’s is dedicated to meeting the healthcare needs of our community. For more information, visit our website at www.saintmarysreno.org.
About Dignity Health (formerly Catholic Healthcare West)
Dignity Health, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, provides integrated, patient and family centered care to more than five million people annually. It is the fifth-largest health system in the country with nearly 10,000 physicians and 55,000 employees across Arizona, California, and Nevada. Through its network of 115 ancillary care sites and 40 acute care hospitals, Dignity Health is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable health care services with special attention to the poor and underserved. In 2011, Dignity Health provided more than $1.4 billion in charity care, community benefit, and unreimbursed patient care. For more information, please visit our website at www.dignityhealth.org.
