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Spike in Volunteerism
Student-athletes from the Belchertown High School girls’ volleyball team recently took a break from their busy class schedule and fall volleyball season to volunteer their time maintaining the Healing Garden located at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital. The team; its coach, Scott Poulin; and co-coach, parent, and friend Paul McGrath have made a commitment to maintain the plants and grounds of the Healing Garden throughout the year. “Coach Poulin suggested we help out in the garden last year after we visited Baystate Mary Lane Hospital’s Oncology Unit to make a donation following our annual Spike It for Life volleyball game,” said McGrath. “The Belchertown team has been hosting the Spike It for Life tournament since 2010.” Each year, the proceeds from the tournament are donated to the Baystate Regional Cancer Program at the hospital. The Healing Garden, located in the courtyard of the hospital, is a calming space designed as a respite for patients, caregivers, and their families. “We are grateful to the Belchertown girls’ volleyball team for the work they are doing in our Healing Garden,” said Dr. M. Shafeeq Ahmed, chief medical officer of Baystate Mary Lane Hospital. “There is evidence that, the more support patients and their families receive, the better they are able to heal. It is a privilege to have our most valuable assets, the youth from our community, partnering with us on the Healing Garden, which touches our patients, visitors, and staff personally.”
Country Cash
From left, Jane Simonds, Susan West, and Jac Patrissi of the Carson Center display their ‘Country Cash,’ representing a donation of $30,000 from Country Bank to the center.
In addition to this most recent gift, Country Bank has also sponsored the Carson Center’s Domestic Violence Task Force with a donation of $15,000 and its Yes To Life Program with a donation of $10,000. For more information about the programs Country Bank sponsors, visit countrybank.com.
In addition to this most recent gift, Country Bank has also sponsored the Carson Center’s Domestic Violence Task Force with a donation of $15,000 and its Yes To Life Program with a donation of $10,000. For more information about the programs Country Bank sponsors, visit countrybank.com.
Celebrating Rehab
A recent 5K walk/run hosted by HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Mass. raised more than $7,000 for the American Stroke Assoc. More than 100 participants took part in the event, held in Ludlow. The 5K kicked off the hospital’s celebration of National Rehabilitation Week, recognized each September to educate people about the benefits of rehabilitation and the capabilities of people with disabilities.
Celebrating a Century of Caring
It has been 100 years since the Baystate Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice was founded in 1914 as a baby-feeding association to help immigrant mothers care for their newborns. Since that time, the BVNAH has adapted to the times and the needs of the community, including being one of the first in the nation to adopt hospice care in 1988. On Oct. 23, Baystate Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice celebrated 100 years of caring for the community with a special celebration at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. Wood, whose late wife Merrie received care from the BVNAH hospice service, served as chair of the 100th anniversary celebration, and spoke at the program along with Maura McQueeney, BSN, MPH, president of the Baystate Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice and post acute executive for Baystate Health, and Dr. Mark A. Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. At top, Keroack addresses the audience; above, left, Keroack and his wife, Ann Errichetti, and Lyman Wood and his wife, Leslie; Above, right, VNA staff members.
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