The Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute is expanding its services for children with cancer and blood disorders.
It opened a new inpatient unit in April at the Nemours Children’s Hospital and will start offering outpatient services in December. Both were made possible by a $78 million gift from the Foundation.
The Institute’s director of nursing Mary Newman said her team has heard positive feedback since patients and families moved to the new location April 4.
“I think the biggest thing we're excited about is that the design of this space, much like our inpatient space, is really to support the whole child health model and promoting children's optimal health and wellbeing – meaning we're promoting wellness during a time of illness,” Newman said.
The new space has a kitchen for families to make home-cooked meals on the spot and recreational areas with views of the Nemours Estate. The Institute has a dietitian and volunteers on location to help promote healthy eating habits and prepare meals for children and families.
“It’s been very, very positive,” Newman said.
Patients will be able to receive many services in the outpatient unit including phlebotomy, physical therapy and apheresis, which is a procedure Newman said many patients receive.
Visitors will also have access to social services, social psychology and nutrition services.
“And then we're going to continue to focus on our partnerships with our adult programs for a YA and survivorship, which will also be a critical part of our outpatient space,” Newman said.
The Institute is also now a qualified treatment center for gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.
Newman added the new space allows for the program to grow and attract more researchers, including some looking specifically at sickle cell disease.
“Not only the physical space – but the way we deliver care to these patients, we're going to be paying very careful attention to all of the outcomes that we can measure to see how creating a space that promotes healing and wellness, how it's going to improve patient outcomes for our patients,” Newman said.
It was crucial to the organization’s leaders to give patients and families a space where they could see the Nemours Estate, according to Newman.
More information on the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center can be found at its website.
