As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so be sure to check back each week throughout the month as we share important breast health tips.
Patients at the St. Elizabeth Breast Center in Edgewood appreciate the care of their doctors and nurses. The most prized relationships with St. Elizabeth staff, however, might be with three women just across from the center’s entrance.
In a small space resides the Women’s Wellness Boutique, a shop that offers apparel and products for women battling cancer, staffed by three caring product specialists. Wigs for women who have lost hair to chemotherapy, bras for those who have had mastectomies and other cancer-support products are there, as are gift items that family members can buy to support their loved ones. As the only hospital-based shop of its kind in the area, the merchandise is only a part of what makes it special.
“We opened in 2005, after the manager and our director at the time toured some other breast cancer centers around the country and saw a couple of shops,” said Toni Carle, RN, nurse manager of the Women’s Wellness Centers, which includes overseeing the boutique. “What they didn’t like about them, though, was that they didn’t feel like a boutique. So they came back with this concept of ‘Let’s have all sorts of fun things for women to buy so it doesn’t feel so medical. So medical products aren’t the only reason they’re there.'”
They also made another critical decision: Staffers wouldn’t be just salespeople. They would offer assistance on a number of levels. In fact, you can read, 7 tips for patients facing breast cancer diagnosis, which outlines tips from one of the staff members, Cathy Halloran.
The staff of three are certified wig-fitters and certified to help fit women with prosthetics after surgery, as well as other issues that come up as they fight their disease.
“As soon as a woman is diagnosed, we try to take her over to the boutique during one of her first few visits to the center,” Carle said. “We want them to meet the staff, and start building a relationship. If they think there’s a chance they’re going to want a wig “” not everybody does “” we want to match their hair before they lose it. We want them to start that conversation, to get comfortable with us. We become their confidants, almost. They can talk to us about anything they’re going through as they go through their care.”
The boutique has become such an important part of care at the hospital, healthcare professionals have toured the shop, looking to take its feel and level of service back to their own hospitals.
“Our patients love it,” Carle added. “They come back all the time, even after they’ve finished care.”
The boutique, which is open during normal business hours on weekdays and Saturdays by appointment, continues to grow. Product sidelines now include jewelry, pink-ribbon items and gift baskets, as well as products for non-cancer patients. Breast pumps and maternity items for expecting mothers are also a big part of the boutique.
For more information on the boutique, or to make an appointment, call (859) 301-6200.
