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PrintCOLUMBIA — MU Health Care has won a national award recognizing their efforts in developing a program providing counseling to health care professionals affected by stresses and tragedies when caring for patients.
MU Health Care’s forYOU team was chosen from 30 nominees across the United States for their initiative in "supporting healing and restoring hope to patients, families and clinicians impacted by adverse medical events."
The forYOU team, which has offered counseling since 2007, provides 24-hour on-call peer support for "second victims," those health care providers who are affected by tragic situations surrounding the care for patients.
"Examples could be a physician or nurse struggling with the death of a co-worker in a car accident or a badly injured child abuse victim that was brought to the hospital and dies," MU Health Care spokesman Matt Splett said.
The HOPE award, which started in 2008, was presented by the nonprofit Medically Induced Trauma Support Services organization based in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Their goal is to provide education on medical trauma and advocate for the creation of groups similar to the forYOU team. Along with national recognition, MU Health Care also received a $5,000 grant to help fund the program.
"Hospitals and clinics across the country are turning to MU Health Care for guidance as they establish similar programs," Les Hall, chief medical officer at MU Health Care, said in a news release.
In September, the forYou team was recognized with the Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Missouri Best Practice Award.
The program has 51 trained volunteer staff members who counsel co-workers on a one-on-one basis.
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