HCCN Recognizes Two Wholeness of Life Recipients at Annual Gala

19 Others Named Patient Care Honorees

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, November 7, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (HCCN) has named two Wholeness of Life Award recipients for 2024. The honorees will be recognized as HCCN celebrates its 63rd anniversary at their Wholeness of Life Gala today at the Knickerbocker Hotel. The Gala’s mission is to advance the integration of spiritual care in health care and to honor extraordinary people.

This year’s awardees are Laura Robbins, DSW, Senior Vice President, Educational Institute and Global Partnerships, Hospital for Special Surgery and Carla P. Cangemi, MD, FAAP, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children.

“These honorees are committed to improving the quality of life for individuals and their families. Their achievements exemplify the finest in caring for the whole person – body, mind and spirit,” said the Rev. Eric J. Hall, CEO of HCCN and Spiritual Care Association.

Robbins joined the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) family in 1989 and has shown tremendous dedication to interrelated care of mind, body, and spirit for the patients served, the entire HSS organization, medical trainees, and the general community suffering from musculoskeletal conditions. Her contributions to the care and respect of whole persons are immense and enduring.

In her tenure at HSS, Robbins has built an Education Institute from the ground up based on a shared leadership model. She has recognized the need for caring for the whole patient, which included not just clinical care, but whole person care – including education, outreach, and training. Under Robbins’ leadership in 2023 alone, HSS education helped 12.1 million in 96 countries.

As Senior Vice President, Robbins holds a unique position of influence, which she has used to bring physical, mental, and spiritual programming to HSS staff. She was instrumental in leading wellness efforts during COVID, bringing the RISE peer-support program to staff, identifying leads for weekly meditations, recognizing the need for, and onboarding the first Chief Wellness & Resiliency Officer, leading quality of life programs for residents and fellows, co-facilitating Listening Circles for HSS management, providing a safe environment for dialog, and supporting work/life balance initiatives.

Robbins has shown compassion and given to others with a selfless spirit for the betterment of humanity. She leads HSS’ Global Partnerships, centered on sharing HSS knowledge and best practices towards improved musculoskeletal care of global communities. She has served in more than 70 volunteer roles for the Arthritis Foundation and is instrumental in ensuring the foundation prioritizes patients by finding cures and helping patients physically and emotionally.

“Laura has had a huge impact on the trajectory of the field of arthritis, and through her work she’s brought to light and highlighted the importance of a patient-centric approach to these problems and trying to understand the patient as a complete person,” said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, President and CEO, HSS. “She is someone who has used her incredible intelligence for the good of society.”

Dr. Cangemi has been Chief Medical Officer of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children since October 2022. She is also Medical Director of the hospital’s Inpatient and Home Care Programs, where she leads the Healthcare System in providing the highest quality of care to patients and manages daily operations at the only center for pediatric long-term and rehabilitative care in NYC. Prior to joining St. Mary’s, Dr. Cangemi held a position as Vice Clinical Chief of Pediatrics at New York Presbyterian Queens where she was recruited as the Director of the Intermediate Care Unit and Director of the Pediatric Hospitalist Program.

“St. Mary’s is proud to be located in The World’s Borough and to serve one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse communities in the country, with patients and families who hold a wide variety of religious beliefs,” said Dr. Edwin Simpser, President and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children. “Dr. Cangemi understands the importance of ensuring that all of our families feel supported in their spiritual needs as they face incredibly difficult health challenges, and we are lucky to have her at our institution.”

Dr. Cangemi personifies the genuine spirit of Caring for the Human Spirit. With selfless devotion, she offers spiritual support and comfort to those at St. Mary’s. Her life’s work is a testament to her profound empathy, caring disposition, love, dedication, and steadfast commitment, extending beyond the patients to include their families and the staff.

The Wholeness of Life Gala will also recognize 19 chaplains as Patient Care Honorees for their extraordinary service. Each exemplifies the meaning of Caring for the Human Spirit. A complete list can be found at https://healthcarechaplaincy.org/gala2024/

“For decades, this organization has led the way in the integration of spiritual care in health care through clinical practice, education, research, and advocacy,” said Hall. “During its history, HCCN has helped those faced with illness and grief find spiritual comfort and meaning, whoever they are and whatever their beliefs.”

The Wholeness of Life Gala is HCCN’s single largest source of awareness-raising and revenue-raising, enabling the organization to continue its mission to improve patient experience and patient satisfaction.

To donate, visit https://healthcarechaplaincy.org/donate-now/

About HealthCare Chaplaincy Network

The HealthCare Chaplaincy Network is a nonprofit health care organization helping people and families faced with the distress of illness and suffering to find spiritual comfort and meaning.

In 2016, the Spiritual Care Association (SCA) was formed to provide education, training, and certification based on standardized, evidence-based practice and quality indicators, ensuring that the skills and performance of spiritual caregivers can be measured objectively. Most recently, SCA joined with Capstone University, thereby providing an academic base for spiritual care education and training.

HCCN is now the recognized leader in education, research, and advocacy for the importance of spiritual care in health care. The SCA’s Learning Center is the most extensive and most successful online chaplain education program worldwide. Through the development of Common Standards and Quality Indicators in chaplaincy care, publication of several key white papers, and the annual Caring for the Human Spirit^® Conference, HCCN’s outreach and advocacy is now felt throughout the field of chaplaincy, nationally and internationally.

Molly Sabala
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network
+1 212-644-1111
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.