Miss Dover donates holiday stockings, Prostate support group: Seacoast health news
Miss Dover donates holiday stockings for perinatal patients seeking treatment at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
DOVER – Miss Dover, Anna Sargent, donated self-care holiday stockings to perinatal patients seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD), at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital on Tuesday.
The donation is personal for Sargent, a nursing student and proud employee of the hospital, because her mother lives with alcohol use disorder and is in long term recovery.
“I cannot imagine how different her story would have been had she not had the resources and support systems that she did for recovery. That is why I am so passionate about serving our communities with substance use disorder,” she said.
The stockings included items like pre-paid cell phones, gas cards, and ride sharing gift cards - essential items for families that provide them with rides to medical appointments, connection to treatment, pediatric appointments, and access to food. The phones also provide safety for patients in intimate partner violence situations or with other personal safety concerns.
“Stigma and multiple barriers continue to prevent the perinatal population from accessing SUD recovery services, prenatal care, education, and other community resources and tools,” said Lindsay Ginter, a women’s health case manager at Wentworth-Douglass. “It is crucial that the Seacoast is cognizant of how everyone has been impacted by substance use disorder in some way and the positive impact the community can have on those suffering from it.”
The “WDH STRENGTH” team (Supporting Treatment, Recovery, Education, Newborn care, Growth to Transition Home) offers the perinatal population case management services for connection to social determinants of health resources, clinical coordination for clinical education, and education on risks and harm reduction practices. The team also provides assistance with initiation of Medication for Opioid Use disorder (MOUD), social work services for emotional support, and access to other resources and community services in the postpartum period. The program caught the attention of the White House last year.
“With my public platform, I hope to raise awareness about the need for recovery resources and support in the Greater Dover area and encourage others to do the same,” Sargent said.
The Prostate Cancer Support Group of New Hampshire January meeting
STATEWIDE — The Prostate Cancer Support Group of New Hampshire announces its opening meeting of 2024 by Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. This meeting will feature a webinar replay from the organization ZERO Prostate Cancer in the first hour of the program entitled "Understanding Common Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Treatment." The webinar describes many of the symptoms that prostate cancer patients experience facing prostate cancer and cancer treatments as well as useful strategies to address them. Participants will share current issues in peer-to-peer support and discussion in the second hour of the meeting.
The Prostate Cancer Support Group of New Hampshire meets monthly by Zoom on the second Wednesday of each month. There are no dues for the group, and there is no cost to participate in meetings. Both men and spouses or significant others affected by prostate cancer participate in meetings.
For a Zoom link to the meeting, look to the Group's Facebook page or drop an email to dbraiterman@outlook.com.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Miss Dover donates holiday stockings, Prostate support group: Seacoast health news
