Lancaster General embraces the Spirit of Women
What does it mean to have a Spirit of Women hospital in your community?
“It means women know that they have a healthcare partner that is always looking for new ways to encourage them to take action for their health,” says Dr. Tony Castle, Senior Vice President of Operations, Lancaster General Women & Babies Hospital.
Lancaster General’s long tradition of providing quality healthcare to women continues with its recent membership to Spirit of Women, a national coalition of hospitals and healthcare facilities joined together to enhance the healthcare experience for women.
“All of our Spirit of Women hospitals aspire to meet a set of national standards for women’s healthcare, and are innovative in their approach,” says Tanya Abreu, President and National Program Director, Spirit of Women Hospital Network.
“Spirit of Women hospitals like Lancaster General are doing a great job of making healthcare less of a fearful experience and are working to not only reach out to women, but make healthcare easier and actually fun,” Tanya adds.
Day of Dance
Spirit of Women offers more than just a seal of approval for women’s health. The organization also provides member hospitals with outstanding programs and events.
Lancaster General recently hosted its first Girls Night Out artisan market & gift boutique event for women, which included educational sessions on breast health and cervical cancer.
Coming up is the annual Day of Dance for Heart Health, a nationwide event that will be held locally at the Lancaster General Health Campus on Saturday, February 24 from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required by calling (800) 341-2121.
“We’ve taken the fear of heart ailments and turned it into the Day of Dance, where people from all walks of life can come together and enjoy an event as a family while raising awareness about their own heart health,” Tanya says.
The event features dance demonstrations, heart healthy cooking demonstrations, physician speakers, health screenings, tips on health nutrition and lifestyle, and other activities. The first 1,500 women to participate at the Lancaster General event will receive a free gift bag.
Additional Spirit of Women events and programs, including New Mom Moments, will be sponsored by Lancaster General throughout the year.
Seven Standards of Excellence
Spirit of Women network hospitals must meet or exceed seven performance guidelines focused on services geared to women:
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Community Assessment and Targeted Women's Programming
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Life Stage Program Planning
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Diversity
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Strategic Alignment of Women's Services
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Innovation in Outreach
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Quality Improvement
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Multidisciplinary Integration
There are 170 Spirit of Women hospitals nationwide. Lancaster General is one of three in Pennsylvania.
“Lancaster General is among the top 5 percent of community hospitals on women’s health issues,” Tanya says. “Its historic commitment and proactive involvement in the community makes it an outstanding Spirit of Women hospital.”
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