NEWS, SPORTS, COMMENTARY, POLITICS for Gloucester City and the Surrounding Areas of South Jersey and Philadelphia

CNB TRAFFIC ALERT: I-295 southbound/Al-Jo’s Curve to be closed and detoured tonight in Bellmawr
Beach to the Brewery Race Sat. Expect Traffic Delays

RUN WITH THE DOCS Saturday at Virtua Voorhees

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"Going the Extra Mile” for Virtua’s Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care Program 

 

WHAT: 

Since 2015, RUN WITH THE DOCS—a 5K run and a one-mile walk—has raised nearly $260,000 to support Virtua’s Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care Program, which provides support and care to families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss. This extremely compassionate program helps to ensure that families who experience loss have access to a multidisciplinary range of services that provide comfort and support during an exceedingly difficult time. 

 

RUN WITH THE DOCS is an event that reunites patients and families who experienced the loss of pregnancy or an infant with the clinicians and caregivers who provided much needed support and comfort. Over 1,000 participants are expected to attend this year’s event. 

 

Thanks to the generous Run with the Docs participants, sponsors, and donors, the Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care Program is able to provide essential and supportive services to grieving families. These services include:

 

  • Providing education and sensitivity training for healthcare teams who may have contact with families who have experienced loss. 
  • Offering a financial assistance program to help ease the burden of burial costs.
                      • Purchasing cooling beds, which allow parents to spend precious time with their baby.
                      • Purchases books on grief for parents and children.
                      • Presenting the biennial Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care conference, which provides education to healthcare workers in the U.S. and Canada.
                      • Partnering with Today Is A Good Day to provide support to our NICU families.
                      • Assisting families with the purchase of a plaque in memory of their little one in      Virtua’s Angel Garden.
                      • Serving as a resource for all families in our entire region, whether they are patients at Virtua or another health care system. 

 

WHEN & WHERE: 

The 8th annual event will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at Virtua Voorhees, 100 Bowman Drive, Voorhees, NJ. The rain date is Sunday, September 18, 2022. 

  • Onsite registration opens at 7:30 am  
  • Opening ceremony begins at 8 am 
  • 5K run and 1-mile fun walk start at 8:30 am 

 

WHY: 

  • When a family suffers a miscarriage, Virtua’s Bereavement team provides grieving parents with educational materials, information on local and national resources, and self-care kits that help them cope with the physical and emotional challenges they face. 
  • Virtua looks to support the whole family after they have endured this emotional experience. In addition to information and resources, Virtua provides books for siblings, care kits for grieving parents, and emotional support items, such as memory boxes, angel gowns, footprint cards, and more. 
  • Compassion and caring are always on trend, but it is important for Virtua to keep up on research, trends, and techniques. Each year, select employees attend at least one professional conference; Virtua also provides Breaking Bad News (BBN) training for physicians, nurses, and staff. 

WHO: 

The race was organized in 2015 by a committee of physicians and healthcare professionals who recognized the need for additional support for patients and families who experience the loss of a pregnancy or an infant. Every year, the run and walk are well-supported by Virtua Health colleagues and the South Jersey community.  

 

“The community’s outpouring of support has been tremendous,” says Ann Coyle, RNC-NIC (registered nurse certified in Neonatal Intensive Care) manager of the perinatal bereavement program. “The loss of a pregnancy or an infant is a devastating and emotional journey. It’s so important that grieving patients and families get the right kind of support at the right time. The funding from RUN WITH THE DOCS allows us to provide the support and resources needed to help families endure an immeasurable tragedy.” 

For information on Virtua’s support services for pregnancy and infant loss, please visit https://www.virtua.org/services/pregnancy-and-infant-loss-support 

 

Some of the region’s most beloved healthcare professionals, donors, and sponsors have raised close to $260,000 for Virtua’s comprehensive Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care Program through “Run with the Docs,” a 5k run and 1-Mile walk that takes place at Virtua Voorhees Hospital each year. These committed participants, donors and volunteers are truly "Going the Extra Mile" to support families who experience the tragedy of miscarriage and infant loss. 

 

About Virtua Health
Virtua Health is an academic health system committed to helping the people of South Jersey be well, get well, and stay well by providing the complete spectrum of advanced, accessible, and trusted health care services. Virtua’s 14,000 colleagues provide tertiary care, including renowned cardiology and transplant programs, complemented by a community-based care portfolio. In addition to five hospitals, two satellite emergency departments, 30 ambulatory surgery centers, and more than 300 other locations, Virtua brings health services directly into communities through Hospital at Home, physical therapy and rehabilitation, mobile screenings, and its paramedic program. Virtua has 2,850 affiliated doctors and other clinicians, and its specialties include orthopedics, advanced surgery, and maternity. Virtua is academically affiliated with Rowan University, leading research, innovation, and immersive education at the Virtua Health College of Medicine & Health Sciences of Rowan University. Virtua is also affiliated with Penn Medicine for cancer and neuroscience, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for pediatrics. As a not-for-profit, Virtua is committed to the well-being of the community and provides innovative outreach programs that address social challenges affecting health, most notably the “Eat Well” food access initiative, which includes the unparalleled Eat Well Mobile Grocery Store. A Magnet-recognized health system ranked by U.S. News and World Report, Virtua has received many awards for quality, safety, and its outstanding work environment. For more information, visit Virtua.org. To help Virtua make a difference, visit GiveToVirtua.org.

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