OSSEN FAMILY FOUNDATION AWARDS HOSPITAL $125K FOR CANCER PROGRAMS
The Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation recently awarded $100,000 to the Windham Hospital Foundation to establish a Cancer Navigation Program at Windham Hospital and an additional $25,000 to continue funding Windham Hospital’s yearly Cancer Survivors Day program for the next five years.
According to Shawn Maynard, Executive Director of the Windham Hospital Foundation, the Cancer Navigation Program will enable the hospital’s Cancer Coordinator to provide patient navigation for all cancer patients. He said that personalized, coordinated care is a goal of the Hartford HealthCare System (of which Windham Hospital is a partner) and this program will make that a possibility. Patient navigation is very critical to the comprehensive provision of care at a difficult time for people who have been diagnosed with cancer.
“These programs would be very dear to Jeff and it is the hope of the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation that this contribution will provide comfort and support to those patients and families who will be the beneficiaries of these services,” commented Eileen Ossen, Executive Director of the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation. The Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in Connecticut by Jeffrey P. Ossen to continue the family tradition of commitment to enhancing the quality of life of the Windham community through grants to qualified charitable organizations. Continued support in the areas of cultural arts, education and healthcare issues will be his legacy to this region.
The Foundation is named after Jeffrey P. Ossen, who lost his battle with cancer in September 2007. Ossen was known for his philanthropy, providing the largest gift to Windham Hospital’s $8.5 million emergency room expansion project and the Emergency Center that now bears his name. He also supported local school enrichment programs and national organizations, as well.
Kate Starkey, recently promoted to the position of Oncology Program Manager at Windham Hospital, will be the site coordinator for this program. She will be responsible for coordinating cancer care at Windham and with partner organizations within Hartford HealthCare. Additionally, she will also oversee the Cancer Committee, Breast Cancer Planning Committee, Patient Navigation and Survivorship program, act as liaison for other American Cancer Society Services and provide Windham representation on the Hartford HealthCare Oncology Steering Committee.
The Cancer Survivors Day program has been sponsored by the Ossen Family since its inception in 2005. The Celebration includes a wide variety of activities that honor cancer survivors. This event is part of Windham Hospital’s ongoing education and advocacy on behalf of cancer survivors. |