Pictured left to right: Lucine Sihelnik, Reading Hospital Golf Classic Co-Chair; Sharon Keating, President of The Friends of Reading Hospital; Charles Barbera, MD, Reading Hospital President and CEO; Betsy Power, Reading Hospital Golf Classic Co-Chair.
On Monday, August 1, The Friends of Reading Hospital (The Friends) hosted 80 golfers at the Reading Hospital Golf Classic at the Berkshire Country Club in Reading. The event raised $75,000 to help fund the Warm Handoff program at the Reading Hospital Emergency Department.
The Warm Handoff program is a partnership between Reading Hospital Emergency Department (ED) and the Council On Chemical Abuse (COCA). The program provides Certified Recovery Staff in the ED 24 hours a day. Individuals who come to the Emergency Department suffering from the effects of opioid or other substance abuse meet with a recovery support specialist who can arrange for immediate admission to a detox or drug and alcohol treatment program, which can save lives and help people get on the road to recovery.
"The financial support The Friends are providing to support the Warm Handoff program is invaluable to those in our community who experience an overdose from substance abuse," said Brian Lahmann, MD, Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine.
"We have seen the remarkable impact this program, combined with the support of the Certified Recovery Staff, has made for our patients and their families," said Dr. Lahmann. Reading Hospital's Warm Handoff program has been recognized by the State of Pennsylvania as a model for similar programs across the state.
- Winners from the Men's Division include: Todd Rothenberger, Chris Lamb, Cameron Martin, and Paul Yacabowski.
- Winners from the Women's Division include: Sharon Heck, Brenda Miller, Dawn Sarig, and Lori Derr.
The Friends of Reading Hospital President Sharon Keating added, "For more than 130 years, The Friends have been a dedicated partner to Reading Hospital ensuring that, through our fundraising efforts, patients, the community, and team members have access to technology, programs, and education to make them healthier and happier. I thank the Circle of Friends and Title Presenting Sponsor, The Reading Hospital Medical Staff, and sponsors PATHS and Stevens and Lee, for their generous donations so we can continue our strong legacy of giving."
The event also featured author and Berks County native Judson Meinhart, CFP, who recently released his first book, "Golfer's Guide to Money: Find your financial swing and master the green."
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 697-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for four consecutive years (and moving up to America's 50 Best Hospitals in 2022) and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.