MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – The Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation and Ralph Lauren Childrenswear Distribution Center in Martinsburg recently donated $7,629 to the City Hospital Foundation to continue funding of the patient resource navigator for the West Virginia University Hospitals-East Regional Cancer Program based at City Hospital.
In January 2009, the American Cancer Society and WVUH-East announced that Pat Fogle, RN, had been hired as the patient resource navigator for the WVUH-East Regional Cancer Program, making it the first cancer center in West Virginia to partner with the American Cancer Society to establish a patient resource navigator program.
The American Cancer Society’s innovative patient resource navigator program is a comprehensive initiative designed to assist individual cancer patients in negotiating the health care system. The patient resource navigator helps cancer patients and their caregivers cope with their cancer experience, from initial diagnosis through treatment and follow-up support.
In 2008 and 2009, the employees at Ralph Lauren Childrenswear Distribution Center in Martinsburg and the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation donated over $25,000 to help establish the patient navigator resource program at WVUH-East. This year’s donation included an employee contribution from their annual Pink Pony Day held in October, and a match by the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation.
Pink Pony Day is a walk held globally at various Polo Ralph Lauren locations each year to raise funds for cancer research support and awareness. A check representing proceeds from the local walk was recently presented to the City Hospital Foundation earmarked for the WVUH-East cancer center’s patient navigator program.
Pictured from left to right: Ralph Lauren Childrenswear Distribution Center Senior Director of Human Resources Penny Mathias; Teresa McCabe, Vice President Marketing/Development for WVU Hospitals-East and the City Hospital Foundation; Ralph Lauren Childrenswear Distribution Center General Manager Fred Daniels; American Cancer Society Patient Resource Navigator Pat Fogle, RN; and Barb Henry, ACS Community Manager for Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.