Page 40 - Healthcare News May/June 2022

bankESB Makes $500,000 Challenge Grant to Cooley Dickinson
EASTHAMPTON — Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, an- nounced that the bank has made a $500,000 challenge grant to support the Emergency Department at Cooley Dickin- son Hospital.
The funds will be used to support Transforming Emergency Care: Cam- paign for the Cooley Dickinson Emergen- cy Department, a $19.76 million expan- sion, reconfiguration, and renovation effort to allow Cooley Dickinson to meet the ever-evolving emergency medicine needs of all members of the community, from infants to older adults.
“Access to quality medical care is something we all count on, and Cooley Dickinson continues to do an amazing job treating our friends, family, and neighbors who live and work in our communities,” said Sosik. “bankESB is pleased to do its part in supporting Cooley Dickinson and its efforts to transform its Emergency De- partment into one that’s as up-to-date as possible and can unlock its full potential. We hope others will do the same.”
According to Cooley Dickinson Hospi- tal, its Emergency Department is 40% un- dersized to meet the community’s needs and cares for many patients who require critical medical attention. The number
of patients visiting the department has doubled — from 17,000 in the 1970s to
From left, Nancy Lapointe, bankESB senior vice president, retail banking; Dr. Lynette Watkins, president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital; Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, and Karen Craig, assistant vice president, branch officer for bankESB’s King Street, Northampton office.
nearly 34,000 in recent years. Renovations are expected to break ground next spring.
Organizations contributing to the Cam- paign for the Cooley Dickinson Emer-
gency Department can increase the impact of their donations through this matching grant. bankESB will give one dollar for ev- ery two dollars donated to the Emergency
Department campaign through Dec. 31, up to $500,000.
Massage Clinic to Open at Asnuntuck Community College
ENFIELD, Conn. — The public is in- vited to make a reservation for a massage through Asnuntuck Community College’s massage clinic.
Massages can provide physical and
mental benefits. Massage can loosen tight muscles, lower blood pressure, and assist in recovery from injuries and illness. Stu- dents enrolled in ACC’s Massage Therapy program provide the massages for the
clinic. The appointments run until August 16 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Appointment times are 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Rates are $30 for 50 minutes, and $60 for
100 minutes. Gift certificates are available. Tipping is not allowed by state law.
Reservations are required. Visit https:// asnuntuck.edu/massage/ to learn more about the clinic.
Girls Inc. of the Valley to Partner with Wellness for the Culture
HOLYOKE — Girls Inc. of the Valley announces partnership with Wellness for the Culture (WFTC) that will put mental health support in place during summer programs.
Wellness for the Culture (WFTC) is a center that focuses its attention toward ad- dressing the cultural stigma that hinders black and brown people from receiving treatment. Their mission is similar to that of Girls Inc. of the Valley, whereas they aim to motivate, uplift, and educate indi- viduals through mental health services.
Founder of WFTC, Whitney Dodds, will be leading a training for Girls Inc. of the Valley’s summer staff on creating
safe spaces, relationship building and communication with youth, maintaining boundaries, handling conflict and difficult behaviors. The WFTC counselor will open office hours during Girls Inc. of the Val- ley’s Eureka program as an extra support for participants, as well as offer an anxiety and calming curriculum to elementary students in the Summer at the Bay/Project Runway summer camp.
“Wellness for the Culture brings important and needed expertise to our organization,” said Suzanne Parker, ex- ecutive director at Girls Inc. of the Valley. “Whitney and her team will be leading training for our staff around creating safe spaces, naming and prioritizing lived ex-
perience, selfcare, and much more. Later this summer, they will also provide anxiety and calming workshops to youth in our programs. It has been incredible to have Wellness for the Culture onboard.”
“I am thrilled at this opportunity to partner with Girls Inc.! I have a passion for mentoring young girls,” said Whitney Dodds, LMHC and founder of Wellness for the Culture, LLC. “More importantly, there are so many things, people, spaces I needed as a young adult trying to navigate this world. My own personal goal as well as the mission of Wellness for the Culture is to be all the things we needed culturally and as a community. So this allows me the opportunity to collaborate with an already
amazing program that’s making a signifi- cant impact, and to create more spaces of mental wellness.”
Wellness for the Culture’ approach is tailor-made to encourage engagement, within our community, all the while dis- mantling the cultural stigma that hinders black and brown people from receiving treatment. With ongoing issues of equity and racial justice in our society, Girls
Inc. of the Valley alongside WFTC will provide impactful guidance in shaping and shifting the culture of educational and community spaces.
40 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM MAY/JUNE 2022