Go4theGoal Foundation Child Life Clinical Fellowship Grant Awarded to UF Health Proton Therapy Institute
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (PRWEB) October 26, 2017 -- Go4theGoal has awarded a Child Life Clinical Fellowship Grant, a first of its kind, to UF Health Proton Therapy Institute. This unique grant of $66,000 will employ two child life fellows, each lasting 12 months over a two-year period, to develop the fellow’s skills and add additional resources to the ever-growing patient population at UF Health Proton Therapy Institute.
“We are thrilled to help the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute launch a fellowship program dedicated to child life services,” said Beth Stefanacci, Executive Director of Go4theGoal. “The program and innovative approach at the Institute clearly aligns with Go4theGoal’s mission to improve the lives of children battling cancer.” Go4theGoal works closely with Child Life Specialists, as well as Social Workers and other hospital staff, to ensure patients have the resources they need to battle cancer, whether those needs are financial or enrichment programs and events. The opportunity to assist in the training and skill development of child life specialists is one more step to providing these patients with all the tools and resources they and their families require.
A dedicated child life specialist works one-on-one with children throughout treatment to promote effective coping through medical play, preparation and education. This dedicated approach results in less emotional distress, better overall coping during treatment, a clearer understanding of procedures, and a more positive physical recovery and post-treatment adjustment. Over the past decade, the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute’s child life program has been identified as a model for radiation oncology departments worldwide, making them an ideal recipient of this new grant to help develop the skills and talents of child life specialists entering this unique and challenging field.
“The addition of a Child Life Fellow to our program is already enhancing the pediatric patient experience since being awarded Go4theGoal’s grant,” said Kim Todd, Child Life Specialist, UF Health Proton Therapy Institute. “It has effectively doubled our capacity to deliver high-quality child life services for dozens of children who receive proton therapy for cancer in our facility every day.”
At the conclusion of each twelve-month period, the fellow will have developed his or her skills in assessing children's development, understanding and coping; preparing children for treatment and various procedures; communicating with families; advocating for the role of the child life specialist, the patient and the family; and group presentation skills.
ABOUT GO4THEGOAL FOUNDATION
Go4theGoal Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Dr. Richard and Beth Stefanacci, soon after their oldest child was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. In 2011 Go4theGoal launched 2 national campaigns, National Pediatric Cancer Awareness Day and Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer®. These campaigns give schools, businesses, and sports teams an opportunity to raise awareness and much needed support for kids battling cancer. Go4theGoal provides children undergoing cancer treatment and their families with financial assistance, funds hospital-based programs, grants special wishes, and has funded over $1,000,000.00 in research since 2007. Go4theGoal has earned the honor of "Top Rated Non-Profit of 2012-2017" by Great Nonprofits. http://www.go4thegoal.org/
ABOUT UF HEALTH PROTON THERAPY INSTITUTE
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with the UF College of Medicine and the UF Health Cancer Center, a Florida Cancer Center of Excellence, dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art cancer treatment and setting new standards for treating and curing cancer. It is an accredited radiation oncology facility by the American College of Radiology. The cancer treatment facility houses both conventional radiation and proton therapy, and delivers proton therapy to 100 patients a day. For more information about the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, please visit https://www.floridaproton.org/, or call toll-free 877-686-6009.
Carina Trenka, Go4theGoal Foundation, http://www.go4thegoal.org/, 8567013877, [email protected]
Share this article