Efforts to benefit women’s health programs
The Women’s Council of Forsyth Medical Center Foundation announced its latest grantees April 19 during its Fifth Annual Garden Party, themed “Salem Blume,” at Forsyth Country Club.
Behavioral Health Peer Support for Women received a $13,780 grant, while the Hospital to Home received a grant for $7,500. The Women’s Council of Forsyth Medical Center Foundation is an organization of nearly 200 women who want to improve the health of women in the Winston-Salem community, primarily those who are underserved. The Council works in partnership with Forsyth Medical Center, Forsyth Medical Center Foundation and the Sara Lee Center for Women’s Health to provide excellence in women’s care now and in the future.
The grants raise the amount the Women’s Council has provided to women’s health programs to nearly $300,000 since 2009. The lives of more than 1,650 women and girls have been affected through the grants that have been awarded.
Behavioral Health Peer Support for Women will allow Peer Support Specialist (PSS) to spend time with patients in Forsyth Medical’s adult behavioral health inpatient unit as part of a CenterPoint Human Services (CPHS) pilot program. These specialists have recovered from mental illness and want to help others with behavioral health issues do the same.
Peer Support Specialists have had a positive affect on patients. There have been lower inpatient admission rates, shorter treatment times, higher use of coping strategies, better awareness of community resources and higher ratings of hopefulness and self-efficacy as a result of PSSs.
Forsyth Medical Center’s Hospital to Home program bridges service gaps for older adults being discharged from the hospital. Program navigators talk with patients before discharge to identify possible impediments for successful recovery at home. They identify solutions to the patient’s needs and visit the home to check for other issues and reinforce the discharge plan. Through calls and visits, the navigator ensures necessary support is in place so the patient is safe and independent in her home.
