Northwell partners with cancer services nonprofit

Northwell Health has inked a partnership with Teaneck, N.J.–based Sharsheret, a national nonprofit focused on providing services to women and families of Jewish backgrounds facing breast or ovarian cancer.

Sharsheret’s resources include mental health services and genetic counseling, beauty kits to address the side effects of cancer treatment and programming for women living with metastatic cancer. The organization also offers peer support, community education and culturally competent care training for health care professionals.

The partnership—including a grant made by Northwell—will make Sharsheret’s resources available to patients at Northwell Health Cancer Institute facilities. Additionally, Sharsheret staff will be on-site at Northwell as needed.

Addressing the psychosocial needs of patients is as important as medical care, said Sharon Lerman, manager of social work at Northwell Health Cancer Institute. “You have to look at the whole person.”

As for Sharsheret, the partnership with Northwell is part of the organization’s strategic plan, which calls for more partnerships with the medical community, said Elana Silber, executive director.

“We know that when your medical team recommends a resource, organization or support service, you’re more likely to reach out to that connection,” Silber said.

Along with Northwell, Sharsheret has partnerships with large health systems such as Holy Name Medical Center, also based in Teaneck, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. And it has partnerships with independent medical practices across the U.S.

Sharsheret is the Hebrew word for chain, Silber noted. The nonprofit’s name represents the connections women make with other women and with health care professionals. —J.H.