| Stephanie Blockston discovered CarePages when her son, Harrison, was
hospitalized at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore this past
spring. CarePages is a free Internet service that enables
patients, families and friends to create their own secure Web page, posting
patient updates and messages of support.
CarePages is a highly valued service offered free of charge to all patients
at Sinai Hospital, allowing them to connect with family and friends,
particularly ones in distant locations,� said Neil Meltzer, president and COO of
Sinai Hospital. CarePages takes some stress off of the patient and
immediate family members by reducing telephone calls and inconvenient hospital
visits, while also creating an open forum for information exchange and well
wishes.�
Overwhelmed with the hospitalization of their son, Stephanie and Rodney Blockston were
introduced to the CarePages services by a child life specialist in the Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit (PICU), allowing them to remain in touch with loved ones
without relying on the telephone or being interrupted with hospital
visits. Friends and family were able to keep up with Harrison�s progress by
simply typing in a secret code chosen by the Blockstons into the CarePages home
Web site. CarePages offers several different security levels, allowing the
family to send personalized invitations to their Web site via email. Regardless
of the security level, CarePages service is private and not open to the general
public.
Most patients choose a family member or friend to manage their home page,�
said Lara Klick, director of Guest Relations and Volunteer Services. In
addition, receiving e-mails from family and friends allows words of comfort and
support to be shared with the patient and immediate family members
non-intrusively.�
Blockston, who posted new information up to five times a day, personalized
her CarePage by writing the entries as if Harrison were reporting his progress.
More than 1,000 responses were received during the three months the family
maintained the Web page. When Harrison�s condition improved and he left
the hospital, Blockston referred to the site to help her remember details of his
medical history.
CarePages allowed visitors to the site to see Harrison�s progression, from
the ventilator to all smiles,� Blockston said.
CarePages is open to all patients; however, it is ideal for patients at the
Children�s Hospital at Sinai and the Rubin
Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, who often have lengthy treatments and
require extensive rehabilitation. With the recent introduction of free
wireless access at Sinai Hospital, patients and visitors are now able to bring
laptops to the hospital and conveniently update their CarePages.
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional
health organization, which also includes Northwest Hospital Center, Levindale Hebrew
Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish
Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and
affiliates.
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