eNewsletter

With the beginning of July, we’re preparing to celebrate Independence Day on the 4^th! At LifeCare Alliance, we support the independence of our neighbors facing challenges that stem from aging in place, medical conditions, or disabilities. Our Nutrition, Health, and Support services are designed to keep our clients in their own homes, helping them to live with more stability and self-reliance. Whether that’s through delivering daily nutritious meals, offering pet supplies, providing personal diabetes nutrition coaching, or setting up durable medical equipment in homes, LifeCare Alliance knows that Being There Matters™.

As a valued member of our Alliance, you make independence possible for our clients. Thanks to your generous time, talents, and treasures, LifeCare Alliance is able to work toward building a world where everyone can live on their own terms with dignity and independence. Thank you for all you do.

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As summer officially begins and temperatures soar, what better way to honor our nation’s independence than by supporting independence within our communities? LifeCare Alliance focuses on restoring our clients’ stability and self-reliance through Nutrition, Health, and Support services.

Our Beat the Heat Fan Campaign, one of our support programs, is just one of the ways we help thousands of people live with more hope, security, and independence. Did you know that simply using a fan can lower household temperatures by up to 10 degrees? For many individuals, this temperature difference can be a lifeline during the hot summer months.

The campaign is now in full swing. At our first distribution day on June 27^th, we gave out 216 fans to help seniors and those with medical challenges stay healthy, happy, and safe at home. Betsy P. said “I saw you on the news and knew I needed to get right on down there.  This fan is going to help keep me cool.”

Would you join us in helping our community Beat the Heat this summer? If you are interested in contributing or volunteering, please reach out to Anne Peters at apeters@lifecarealliance.org or view our website at lifecarealliance.org/fans/ to see how you can join in the summer fun.

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Even though it’s 90 degrees outside and there’s no snow on the ground nor lights in the trees, we at LifeCare Alliance are already looking forward to the holiday season.

Last year, LifeCare Alliance was able to provide approximately 865 holiday gift bags to Meals-on-Wheels clients in Franklin County. This year, we are aiming high and want to create at least 1000 gift bags, expanding to support our clients in Madison, Marion, Logan, and Champaign counties as well.  To do this, however, we’ll need your help early.

To kick start our efforts, we are organizing a “Christmas in July” week of events. From July 15th to the 19th, LifeCare Alliance will welcome groups of all sizes interested in participating in pre-holiday preparations. Throughout the week, we will engage in various craft activities, including making beaded ornaments, decorating gift bags, and creating greeting cards. If crafting isn’t your forte, you can still contribute by organizing a drive in your community or workplace to collect gifts and personal hygiene items for the bags.

If you’re interested in initiating a drive, please reach out to Anne Peters at 614-437-2920 or apeters@lifecarealliance.org. For those wishing to reserve a spot for their group during our “Christmas in July” events, please contact our volunteer service coordinators at Volunteer@lifecarealliance.org.

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Google knows how to make a big impact. Since December of 2022, the Google volunteer team has delivered nearly 50 Meals-on-Wheels routes and 935 meals. Greg Marchick, the Google employee responsible for fostering the connection between the two organizations, says that Google enjoys delivering meals because “LifeCare Alliance is an incredible nonprofit, and this is an easy way to give back. It also allows us to connect with the community and with fellow Googlers we might not normally get to interact with”.

In a world where hybrid and remote work schedules are the norm, engaging employees can be challenging. To encourage team bonding, LifeCare Alliance offers flexible volunteer opportunities, with commitments ranging anywhere from one-day service projects to regular meal routes. Teams like Google enjoy delivering meals together for the opportunity to brighten someone’s day. Additionally, volunteering is a proven way to reduce stress and increases a sense of meaning and purpose.

Greg says that, for Google, volunteering together has been pivotal to team building. “Google gives its employees the unique opportunity to go out and conduct volunteer service during our workday. So, we get to spend some of our time at work taking a break from our primary job and going out to support nonprofit organizations in our community with our fellow Googlers”.

Just like Google, your company can increase your social impact by delivering meals at any one of our convenient satellite locations in Westerville, Canal Winchester, Reynoldsburg, Hilliard, Bexley, Grove City, or Gahanna. Your team can select how often you volunteer from a one-time commitment to a quarterly or a monthly route. At our satellite locations, teams rotate having just two employees volunteer together so that everyone else on your team can continue to maintain daily operations.

To learn how your team can volunteer, contact Stephanie Sparrow Hughes with the Corporate and Community Engagement team at volunteer@lifecarealliance.org

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Summertime volunteering offers an opportunity for kids to stay engaged while contributing to their community. Plus, many schools offer service hours in return. Volunteering can transform summer into a season of growth and discovery, keeping kids active and socially connected and helping build a strong foundation for their future. This can foster a sense of responsibility and empathy while developing essential life skills like teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. Here are four ways your kids can get involved this summer:

1. Meals-On-Wheels – deliver nutritious meals with your family to homebound clients, ensuring they receive essential nourishment and social interaction. Volunteers can participate in this impactful program by delivering meals from one of multiple locations.
2. Senior Pet Care – assist with delivering pet food to clients or sorting pet food into smaller-sized bags.
3. Beat the Heat Fan Campaign – volunteer to pick up fans from fire stations and bring them to our Harmon Avenue facility or help with distributing fans to clients on our distribution dates. This campaign benefits Central Ohio’s most vulnerable residents during periods of extreme heat.
4. Kitchen Assistance – assist with tasks such as packing meals and preparing the boxes/bags for Meals-On-Wheels deliveries at our Harmon Avenue facility.

Reach out to volunteer@lifecarealliance.com to start your summer of volunteering!

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Every summer, LifeCare Alliance partners with the Ohio Department of Aging and the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging to provide older adults with the opportunity to shop at local farmers markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. Eligible seniors can sign up for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and receive $50 of coupons! Learn more here: lifecarealliance.org/programs/meals-on-wheels/farmers-market/

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Project Blues is back! Featuring four-time Grammy Award winner Booker T. Jones, this benefit concert will take place on August 3, 2024. Founded by Mike Berichon in 2005, Project Blues is inspired by Mike’s deep love for music and the loss of his beloved sister to cancer. Through Project Blues, Mike channels his passion into helping those fighting cancer.

All proceeds go toward LifeCare Alliance Cancer Services, helping to restore the stability and self-reliance of our clients with cancer. Find out more and purchase your tickets here: https://projectblues.org/.

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LifeCare Alliance and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Center and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) announce a new partnership that will significantly enhance access to breast cancer screening and diagnostics for underserved individuals across Ohio.

A breast imaging team from the OSUCCC – James will begin providing breast cancer screening and diagnostic services at the LifeCare Alliance Cancer Screening and Support Center (formerly the Columbus Cancer Clinic).

Until now, LifeCare Alliance has provided cancer screening and diagnostic services independently, partnering with a number of medical and diagnostic professionals over the years – including Arthur G. James, MD, for whom The James is named and who served as medical director of the Columbus Cancer Clinic for more than 33 years. This new partnership with the OSUCCC – James centralizes and streamlines the breast cancer screening and follow-up process for the thousands of women served by LifeCare Alliance annually. Through this partnership, patients will have access to advanced screening mammography tools and an electronic medical record system for follow-up communication and care coordination.

“We see this partnership as a critical step for us in sustaining our 103-year commitment to cancer health equity,” said Charles W. Gehring, president & CEO of LifeCare Alliance. “This working relationship with the OSUCCC – James will significantly improve our ability to communicate with patients, provide referrals, share information with providers, and seamlessly help clients access the care they need following a cancer diagnosis.

“Access to follow-up care addresses one of the key social determinants in advancing cancer health equity. This partnership bridges the gap between diagnosis and treatment, and we couldn’t be more proud to be taking these next steps in the agency’s storied history of helping the community battle cancer.”

Century-long commitment to providing cancer care to underserved
LifeCare Alliance provides critical cancer screenings to an underserved population. In 2023, 60% of patients served had no insurance and 11% were covered under Medicaid. Nearly all (98%) of the 4,260 screening and diagnostic services performed were for women; 28% of those seen were African American; 52% were Hispanic.

“Regular cancer screenings have been proven to save lives, and we believe everyone should have access to these routine services regardless of whether or not they have insurance or the ability to meet co-pays,” said Gehring. “We anticipate that this partnership with The James will greatly increase our capacity to serve even more of our community’s most vulnerable members.”

Amy Kerger, DO, a breast radiologist and vice chair of ambulatory services and business development at the OSUCCC – James, said she hopes expansion of this long-standing community partnership will help increase awareness and break down barriers to breast health care for the underinsured and uninsured.

“By working together to understand the barriers to care patients face, we can make more meaningful strides toward reducing the burden of cancer for all people in our community,” said Kerger.

Updated treatment facility, electronic medical record access
Another patient advantage to the partnership is that LifeCare Alliance Cancer Services becomes an Epic Community Connect Partner with the OSUCCC – James. This means LifeCare Alliance Cancer Services is adopting the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system. This not only allows for seamless integration with the OSUCCC – James, but also makes it possible for every patient to have single-point access (MyChart) to a comprehensive medical record that can inform care across many providers. Ohio State and LifeCare Alliance have been working together for the last six months on installation, training, and utilization of the Epic EMR platform.

The LifeCare Alliance Cancer Screening and Support Center is further undergoing physical upgrades to improve the patient experience, including the addition of a new mammography reading room, clinician workspace, registration, waiting and comfort areas, installation of a new state-of-the-art Hologic mammography unit, and a new diagnostic ultrasound room.

“These upgrades are possible through generous donations to our recently completed capital campaign and through congressionally directed federal funding sponsored by Ohio Congresswoman Joyce Beatty,” reported Gehring.

He notes that this is truly a community-supported initiative and one that LifeCare Alliance believes is unique in the United States.

“To have a comprehensive cancer center partnering with a local free clinic to provide quality cancer screenings and access to care to anyone – regardless of their race, their immigration status, their gender identity, or their insurance status – is just one more thing Central Ohio can take pride in.”

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