Friday, April 17, 2015
Fairfield , CT — A grant of $85,000 from William Raveis Foundation will help individuals with a cancer diagnosis access navigation and support services at the Norma Pfreim Breast Center in Fairfield. Patients will have access to services regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
Breast cancer treatment involves doctors from many disciplines who each contribute something vital to the patient’s care, yet their services must be coordinated to assure the best outcomes. The navigator’s job is to help women negotiate their journey and receive coordinated care. She also leads support groups, including groups for patients, family members, teens and adolescents.
“When a woman is faced with a diagnosis of breast cancer, she is emotionally raw and overwhelmed,” says Dr. Donna Twist, executive director of the Norma Pfriem Breast Center. “The navigator guides her through the cancer journey, coordinating services on every level—financially, emotionally, and of course medically.”
In addition to navigating women through screening, diagnosis and treatment, the navigator also helps women access a program of complementary and integrative therapies, which have been shown to relieve the psychosocial and physical distress of breast cancer treatment and can be a cost efficient and non-invasive part of breast cancer recovery.
The navigator is available 24/7 to help patients during difficult situations.
"We are so thrilled to be able to support the Norma Pfriem Breast Care Center this year,” says Meghan Raveis, Managing Director, William Raveis Charitable Fund. “The community is fortunate to have such a wonderful team of breast cancer specialists while in a comforting surrounding. They have been helping women in the community fight breast cancer for over 10 years now and it is for this reason that we are happy to extend our support."
“The grant from William Raveis Foundation will help patients receive coordinated care and support for all aspects of the breast cancer journey,” says Dr. Twist. “This is so important to the successful treatment of breast cancer. We are grateful to our friends at William Raveis.”
Part of Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System, the Norma Pfriem Breast Center has served more than 25,000 women and their families since it was established in 1999. One of only 300 sites accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the Center provides a wide range of diagnostic care and treatment at its Bridgeport Hospital and Fairfield locations, including medical oncology, surgical and chemotherapy services, plastic surgery, mammography and radiation therapy, and genetic risk assessment as well as opportunities to participate in clinical trials. The Breast Center office at 111 Beach Road in Fairfield also provides comprehensive women’s wellness services, including nutrition counseling, massage and Reiki therapy, wig and prosthesis fitting, counseling, yoga, Pilates, naturopathic medicine, and other patient support activities. The Center has a satellite office on Park Avenue in Trumbull. The Center is a member of the prestigious National Consortium of Breast Care Centers. For more information call 203.255.5300 or visit online.
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health System, is a 383-bed acute care hospital (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital) serving parts of Fairfield and New Haven counties. The hospital admits more than 18,000 patients and receives more than 240,000 outpatient visits annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 62 verified burn centers in the United States.
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org
