Exceptional Experiences at Community Health Network

The care of a patient who has experienced the loss of a pregnancy, newborn or infant does not end when the patient goes home from the doctor’s office, emergency department or hospital. That is when Community’s support programs, known as Open Arms both at Community Hospital Anderson and at Community’s Indianapolis hospitals, offer services to help parents through the grieving process. Each December, memorial services are held in Anderson and Indianapolis to bring together families who have experienced a loss.

“We have families who have come for several years in a row,” says Joni Cutshaw, R.N., bereavement coordinator for Open Arms. “This is often the one time of the year that parents say their baby’s name.”

The memorial service at Community Hospital Anderson was held at the hospital on Thursday, December 18. Dick True, chaplain, led the service. A mother who experienced a loss at 38 weeks shared what has helped her get through the holidays. Another mom who lost her baby at 37 weeks sang. Attendees were invited to share their experience with the group, and gathered at the end of the service for refreshments and fellowship. “It’s very uplifting to the families,” says Ruthie Smith, LPN, maternal child support services coordinator. “It’s something that we do in the community that is very special to these families, and they appreciate that we remember them.”

The Indianapolis memorial service took place on December 4 at Ellenberger United Church of Christ, near Community Hospital East, and followed a similar format. Approximately 25 families gathered for a sermon offering words of encouragement and a candle-lighting ceremony to remember each loss. This year a 13-year-old, whose mother has experienced three losses, played the harp, and Lorraine Garner, OB tech at Community Hospital North, played the organ. At the end of the service, families gathered for refreshments and fellowship. Parents were presented with a memory book and angel ornament, compliments of the Community Health Network Foundation. “This is an opportunity for parents to remember their baby at the beginning of the season, and it helps them to then enjoy their holiday,” says Cutshaw.

Community’s pregnancy, infant and newborn loss support services are available to all parents, regardless of whether they are patients at Community. Likewise, programs at other area hospitals welcome parents who may have experienced a loss at Community. For more information on these memorial services and other programs throughout the year, please visit https://www.ecommunity.com/openarms/.