Serving the Community

As one of the world's premier health care organizations, our mission at Lahey Clinic is to provide superior health care leading to the best possible outcome for every patient; exceeding each day our patients' high expectations for service; and advancing medicine through research and the education of tomorrow's health care leaders.

One of the ways we do this is by providing funding and support to community-based programs that better the lives of our neighbors. In the past, we have focused on senior citizens, children, and victims of domestic violence.

The foundation of our Community Benefits Initiative Program is based on collaboration between our employees, community leaders, representatives of community agencies, and community residents. Through collaborative planning and coalition building, Lahey Clinic strives to serve as a catalyst and a leader within the community.

The following are just a few of the community benefit programs Lahey participates in.

School Nurse Education

In November 2007 and March 2008, more than 100 school nurses participated in a two-part program, "Diabetes: A Challenge for School Nurses." Sponsored by Lahey Clinic and the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization (MSNO), the program offered continuing education to a group of health care professionals with broad responsibilities.

The health needs of area youth has been a focus of Lahey Clinic's Community Benefits program since its inception in 1995. As programs addressing the needs of children evolved over the years, Lahey Clinic recognized the unique role school nurses play.

While often focusing on preventive medicine, school nurses also spend time educating parents and children about illness and helping families cope with health related problems. This could mean anything from assessing the common cold to finding resources for students dealing with allergies or autism, and helping manage those conditions in the school setting.

Lahey contributed $60,979 over the past few years for the planning, development and presentation of continuing education programs and other resources for school nurses. The twice-yearly sessions are designed to help school nurses tackle some of their most challenging situations, with topics chosen from recommendations made by the nurses themselves. In fiscal year 2008, the topic was diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in childhood. Recently, Type 2 diabetes is also increasing among children. According the Kathy Hassey, BA, RN, MSN, MEd, president of MSNO, newly diagnosed children used to spend up to two weeks in the hospital. Today, they are back in school within 48 to 72 hours of diagnosis. A lot of diabetes education they and their families require happens in the schools.

At the Mary Rowlandson Elementary School in Lancaster, Mass., Rita Ingrisano, RN, oversees the health program for 500 students. Soon after attending the diabetes program, she was called upon to use the knowledge she had acquired.

"I was able to share the information with the family of a newly diagnosed student and help devise a care plan for the teacher," she said. "It was a wealth of knowledge and good resources."

Domestic Violence Prevention and Assistance

Lahey Clinic has a long history of collaborating with local police and community organizations to provide crisis intervention and links to services for victims of domestic violence. Lahey and these partners are committed to alleviating the public health and social problems associated with relationship violence in all forms, including spousal violence and elder abuse.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the number of deaths attributed to domestic violence increased threefold between 2005 and 2007. Statistics like these underline the importance of a health care facility's responsibility to its community in working to prevent, screen for, and address violence.

Lahey's Domestic Violence Initiative (DVI) is a group that includes physician and nonclinical staff from departments such as Gynecology, General Internal Medicine, Social Work and the Emergency Room. Community members include law enforcement representatives and local emergency resource groups.

Lahey Clinic's DVI has goals aimed at both institutional and community knowledge of domestic violence. The group endeavors to increase the public's awareness of domestic violence and provide leadership to the clinic and the community regarding domestic violence.

The DVI is active in training Lahey staff to work with community agencies to recognize and respond to the needs of victims of violence and maximize compliance with mandatory reporting requirements. Lahey Clinic serves as a resource to our communities by providing immediate help in a crisis and serving as a safe haven for victims in need of protection and services.

According to Merle Kushner, LICSW, coordinator of Lahey's DVI, "Lahey's goals are to heighten awareness of the issue; provide crisis intervention and links to services; strengthen community partnerships, and train the clinical staff to recognize and respond to the needs of victims."

Working with organizations such as Minuteman Senior Services and REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Lahey provided grants for support groups and emergency shelters for victims in 2008 totaling more than $16,000.

In 2008, Lahey provided domestic violence training during some new employee orientation programs and as continuing education for existing staff. DVI members are represented at the Woburn District Court's Domestic Violence Roundtable, at the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospital's committee on domestic violence, and with the newly formed Leaders in Elder Abuse Prevention Task Force.

Senior Citizen Wellness Programs

Lahey Clinic's Community Benefits program determined early on that our area's geriatric population had a need for community-based services. For years, Lahey has offered or supported a variety of programs for neighborhood senior citizens, from weekly discounted meals to free insurance counseling.

In fiscal year 2008, Lahey committed $123,000 to bring health related educational programs to senior citizens in Burlington, Woburn, Billerica, Lexington and Wilmington, Mass. The programs address nutrition, chronic disease self-management and exercise. Data collected at these workshops show self-reported lifestyle improvements and many participants attend sessions multiple times.

An innovative program developed by Lahey Clinic joins senior citizens and youths for social interaction. The Intergenerational Program is the creation of Lahey Clinic's Margie Doyle, MBA, who came up with the idea for strengthening community ties and finding common ground between generations more than four years ago.

"The Intergenerational Program brings local senior citizens and young people together to talk and learn about their differences and similarities," said Doyle. "It provides them opportunities to share knowledge and experiences and to develop a better understanding of a different generation."

The students, last year middle and high schoolers, ask their older counterparts about their childhoods and learn about the common themes in their upbringings. The seniors, on the other hand, often learn that kids these days don't have it so easy and have many of the same struggles and joys that they did as children.

In 2008, Lahey held two, three-week sessions: the first joined campers from the North Suburban YMCA and seniors from the Woburn Senior Center; and the second, Billerica Recreational Department camp counselors and seniors from the Billerica Senior Center.

Each year, Doyle coordinates two sessions of the Intergenerational Program in a local community. "This program really brings the generations together," said Doyle.

To learn more about how Lahey is serving the community, contact the Department of Volunteer & Community Services at VolunteerServices@Lahey.org or 781-744-8803.