Make a difference in the lives of patients and caregivers. Give respite and hope to NIH patients..
Ana truly believed in NIH clinical trials. She only hoped more people could experience NIH and its healing mission.
Ana truly believed in NIH clinical trials. She only hoped more people could experience NIH and its healing mission.
The goal of the program to honor Anastacia Longenderfer Dougherty is to create and expand a funding source for the creative arts, family support, and other programs for patients and their families seeking care at the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Friends of Patients at the NIH is honored to manage these vital programs for patients. You can feel confident that 85% of your generous donation will go towards fully funding the items provided to patients and their family members, while 15% of donations are used to cover our staff management and oversight of Ana's Impact programs.
Ana's Impact, a collaboration with Friends of Patients at the NIH, has a special, but not exclusive, focus on patients placed in isolation while undergoing treatment at NIH. In Phase I patients are provided various arts therapy projects which encourage creative activities while experiencing long periods of idleness and restrictive movement. As a NIH patient, some of Ana's best moments were spent doing creative activities; unfortunately, those activities were limited during periods of isolation. Phase I helps to expand creative opportunities for those in similar limitations.
Phase II of Ana's Impact enables patients and caregivers the ability to experience respite outings during therapy. While recuperating, Ana and her husband Chris enjoyed off-campus activities that enhanced their NIH experience. Not everyone can navigate such outings and Ana’s Impact funds the patient’s ability to experience a respite in treatment and quality time with loved ones.Phase III of Ana's Impact - Friends with Ana and Friends kicked off in 2023.
“Friday’s with Ana and Friends” has proven to be a fantastic program, much appreciated by patients being treated at the NIH Clinical Center’s transplant and surgery branches housed in the Clinical Center’s 3 North East and 3 North West units, and by their family members and other visitors.
Every Friday afternoon, a Friends staff member or volunteer visits patient rooms, bringing a cart well stocked with small comforts. The interaction starts with a friendly hello and introduction, and an invitation to all in each room to ‘shop the cart.’ Sometimes folks are reluctant, but with gentle persuading and a bit of explanation, almost everyone finds something they are happy to accept.
The program has become a valued service which patients and their guests look forward to each week. It has gained the attention of Clinical Center leadership–Friends is now participating in a committee aimed at exploring the idea of starting similar cart programs for other departments.
–Cart Inventory:
- We stock the cart with a variety of individually packaged snacks,tea, soups, cereal, oatmeal, travel-sized toiletries, and entertainment books with crossword puzzles, word searches, and adult coloring (plus packs of colored pencils and sharpeners).
- We order as-needed on a weekly basis, usually from Amazon. We also have an ‘Amazon wish list’ where everyone is welcome to donate inventory of their choice and it will be delivered to Friends.
- We spend approximately $600 to $700 per month.
- We choose popular brands with reputations for quality.
- We aim to offer a mix of old favorites and something new each week, something appreciated by those who are in hospital for weeks, even months, at a time.
- We diligently check expiration dates weekly on all snacks.
- We cater to all special diets, stocking enough variety that there is always something to find useful and comforting.
- The chart below shows the percentage of what we distribute by amount spent on each category of items.
- As a special treat during the winter holiday season, we brought stuffed gift bags to patients that included a Pendleton blanket, slipper socks, hand lotion, and their choice of painting project kits, plus everyone was invited to order lunch from California Pizza Kitchen plus a beverage and fresh cookies. We offered a smaller gift bag to guests that included an aluminum water bottle, hand cream, lip balms, and sweet treats..
–About our cart volunteers:
- We currently have four volunteers who take turns, signing up as their schedules allow.
- All volunteers are registered with the NIH volunteer office.
- Two of our volunteers are enrolled in fellowship programs and are pursuing careers in medicine.
- Occasionally, guests join us on our rounds which offers a hands-on opportunity to learn more about the cart program, about Friends and Ana’s Impact, and about the NIH Clinical Center.
- If you or someone you know are in the Montgomery County, MD area and would like to volunteer, please reach out toChristine@friendsatnih.org
–Reviews: Every week, we are greeted with the kindest words from the patients we serve and their guests, and by the NIH staff. We want to share with you the following thanks we have received in recent months:
- From staff
- You are everyone’s favorite ‘rounds’.
- Patients are looking forward to your coming today.
- People have been asking when you’re coming–they will be glad you are here.
- From Patients, their family members and other guests:
- You are wonderful to do this each week.
- I look forward to Fridays because I know you are coming.
- You have thought of everything.
- Your snacks help make the time pass easier.
- I love word-find puzzles.
- I’m going to use this coloring book to give my eyes a rest from computer and phone screens.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you. Gracias. Grazie. Bedankt. Shkran. Hvala.
