Partnering with Hospitals and Community Based Organizations to Provide Unique Care

At Gilda’s Club, we believe that emotional support is an essential complement to medical care. Currently, we are offering free support groups at NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital at Bedford Playhouse as well as on-site workshops at WestMed Medical Group, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Phelps Hospital.

“Over the years, as cancer has become more of a chronic illness, we’ve noticed a trend that more people are coming to us and they’re staying with us longer. So, we’ve been looking for ways to develop more programs to meet these increased needs,” says Melissa Lang, CEO, Gilda’s Club Westchester.

One of the ways we are working to meet the expanding needs of individuals impacted by cancer in our community is by establishing formal and informal medical and community-based partnerships. Gilda’s Club Westchester staff members currently sit on several cancer committees at WestMed Medical Group, NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital, NewYork-Hudson Valley Hospital and Phelps Hospital.

Serving on these committees allows our staff to work side-by-side with clinical staff at these hospitals. This gives us the opportunity to share our mission with medical professionals and promote the value of providing emotional support as a complement to traditional medical care. Additionally, through these partnerships we are able to collaborate with medical staff to provide lectures and workshops on a variety of cancer and wellness related topics both in and outside of Gilda’s Club Westchester. “One of our goals has been to reach more individuals who may not be able to make it into our White Plains site,” says Melissa.

Debbie Vincent, Gilda’s Club’s Clinical Support Manager, is responsible for strengthening our community-based partnerships, which include formal and informal collaborations with area hospitals and medical groups. This allows us to bring our support into cancer centers so that psychosocial support can be integrated into a variety of settings, offering more comprehensive care for patients and their families.

We want to make sure that every hospital and their patients know that Gilda’s Club Westchester is here as a free resource for anyone impacted by cancer.

Please contact Debbie Vincent to learn more about partnerships and on-site programs 914.644.8844 x133 or dvincent@gildasclubwestchester.org