y Nicole Gross, Strategic Partnerships Manager
We are excited to announce Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, Vermont has just been secured. We now have a grand total of 99 civilian healthcare facility partners in 36 states. Any day now we could be achieving the century mark with our Healthcare Partnership Program.
The Amputee Coalition’s Healthcare Partnership Program connects people experiencing or at risk for limb loss/limb difference with support throughout their journey: Prevention, Pre-Operative Phase, Post-Operative Phase, Pre-Prosthetic Phase, Prosthetic Prescription Phase, Prosthetic Training Phase, Reintegration Phase. The program provides patients and families with a connection to the Amputee Coalition, specifically to our peer support programs and educational resources. Peer support allows individuals to connect with others who have shared experiences and can empower them in their recovery, understand their options, and advocate for themselves – all key elements of the Amputee Coalition’s mission to empower people through education, support, advocacy, and to promote limb loss prevention.
The goal of the Amputee Coalition’s Healthcare Partnership Program is to provide the highest quality evidence-based programs and resources in the clinical setting to ensure no one at risk for amputation, who experiences amputation, or is born with limb difference goes through their recovery and readjustment alone. By delivering resources and support in the clinical setting, the Coalition achieves all three of its tenets of:
- Limb Loss Is Not Uncommon, And Becoming Less Uncommon Every Day – individuals meet with others who have experienced amputation – they aren’t the only one,
- No Amputee Alone – individuals get the support they need prior to or immediately following amputation,
- Living Well With Limb Loss – support and resources can help individuals understand how they can live well.
We seek to support allied health professionals in delivering on their promise of patient care coordination, whole person care, and patient-centered care.
Why are we focused on the clinical setting? Frequently, the most vulnerable and overwhelming stage of a person’s journey is throughout their time within the healthcare system as a patient. The clinical setting is an essential place to connect the dots between care and support for individuals and their family caregivers. Virtually every amputation occurs in a hospital or clinical setting, but upon discharge, there is not a singular path for a patient which can make engagement and awareness more difficult out in the community. By establishing clinical-based partnerships, an affiliation between patients, family caregivers, healthcare systems, and the Amputee Coalition can exist. We strive to ensure that no one impacted by limb loss and limb difference feels alone in their journey and that every person with limb loss/limb difference is given the opportunity to thrive.
The Amputee Coalition relaunched the program in 2019 under a no cost structure to support the growth and expansion of providing education, support, and access to resources for patients and families in the clinical setting without financial barriers for hospitals and rehab facilities. The healthcare partnership network has since grown to nearly 100 hospital and rehab facility partners in 35 states, including Washington, D.C. Everyone can play a key role in connecting the dots between care and support through this program. Whether you are a health professional, Amputee Coalition volunteer, current patient, former patient, family caregiver, or simply have a passion for improving community health and access to quality care. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a healthcare facility partner, please watch this Healthcare Partner Webinar, visit our website, or contact partners@amputee-coalition.org.
