Page 33 - Healthcare News Mar/Apr 2021

In the Bag
JGS Lifecare was selected as the nonprofit beneficiary of the Big Y Community Bag Program for the month of March at the Big Y located in Longmeadow. JGS Lifecare received a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable “Big Y Cares” Com- munity Bag is purchased at this location during March. “We are thrilled to receive the support of our local Big Y and our com- munity,” said Susan Kimball Halpern, vice president of Development and Communica- tions at JGS Lifecare (pictured).
Delivering the Goods
Visiting Angels of West Springfield donated 200 St. Patrick’s Day goody bags — including holiday-themed treats and a little leprechaun — to staff and residents of Mont Marie Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Holyoke dur-
ing its holiday party. Mont Marie offers clinical services and specialized programs for the rehabilitation
of its residents. Visiting Angels is a home-health- care service that offers senior in-home care, elderly care, and care for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Lasting Gift
Maria Hermanson, an RN who works the overnight shift in the Mercy Medical Center ICU, has been creating keepsakes for family members who lose a loved one. Patients in the
ICU are placed on a heart monitor that provides a printout. Hermanson makes copies of the deceased patient’s heart- rhythm strip, cuts the paper down, and places the strips in tiny, sealed glass bottles that she gives to the patient’s close family members. Aptly named “Heartbeats in a Bottle,” she explained, “this small token allows them to keep their loved one’s heartbeat with them during the difficult days ahead. Our patients are very sick, and it’s an honor to care for them.”
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