Long Beach Medical Center offers comprehensive support services to our patients and their families, including:
Counseling Services
Breast cancer affects not only the individual patient; it also affects those who love them. The Counseling Center at Long Beach Medical Center offers supportive counseling services for individuals and their families as they navigate a diagnosis of breast disease.
In addition to individual and family therapy, our Counseling Center also offers guided imagery, bio-feedback and other coping techniques to assist patients experiencing sadness, depression and anxiety, or pain.
Counseling is provided by compassionate licensed mental health professionals. Call (516) 897-1270.
Nutrition Counseling
Cancer and cancer treatments can affect appetite, taste and the body’s ability to tolerate or use foods and nutrients. Nutritional counseling by our Registered Dietitians includes an assessment of each individual’s nutritional status with advice on:
● managing side effects of treatment that may affect one’s ability to eat.
● finding ways to maintain proper hydration
● suggesting foods to help maintain weight.
● offering food preparation ideas to conserve energy if fatigue is overpowering
To make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian, call:
Outpatient Services: (516) 897-4354
Inpatient Services: (516) 897-1184
Breast Cancer & Breast Health Support Group
Meetings are scheduled on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Hospital’s Employee Dining Room (Lower Level).
Led by a Registered Nurse, the group offers support, guidance and education on the emotional and psychosocial aspects of coping with breast cancer, its impact on the individual as well as the family, and information on topics such as: understanding your diagnosis, treatment options, chemotherapy, radiation, pain management, exercise, nutrition, stress management and more.
The group uniquely incorporates women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer as well as those who are disease-free but are genetically predisposed or have a family history of breast cancer (previvors).
For more information, please call Long Beach Medical Center’s Breast Health Services at (516)897-1344.
Long Beach Breast Cancer Coalition
An independent 501(c) founded by community residents in 1992, the organization’s mission is to promote awareness through education and community outreach; advocating to increase funding for research into the causes of breast cancer and for improved methods of detection and treatment; and assist in securing access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
Housed on the Medical Center’s campus, the organization also offers support services such as house cleaning, meals, transportation to/from medical appointments, a day of beauty, and childcare. Call (516) 897-1344 or visit
www.lbbcc.org
Palliative Care Services
Our pain & palliative care services are designed to improve quality of life throughout each patient’s course of cancer treatment. Palliative care addresses pain and symptom control and can be initiated at any point from initial diagnosis to advanced disease.
Differing from hospice care in that palliative care is often given alongside a curative treatment plan, it offers relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness with the goal to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
Palliative care services at Long Beach Medical Center are coordinated by Martin Grossman, MD. Dr. Grossman earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine Yeshiva University, NY and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine with specialty certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
For information on palliative care services, please call Martin Grossman, MD at (516) 874-5300.
Hospice Care
Long Beach Medical Center’s skilled nursing facility, The Komanoff Center for Geriatric and Rehabilitative Medicine, offers inpatient hospice care in collaboration with Hospice of New York, Hospice Care Network, and Metropolitan Jewish Hospice Care, each a renowned leader in end of life care.
Inpatient hospice care is a welcome option for many individuals. It offers a multidisciplinary team of caregivers and a supportive environment where the individual’s medical, emotional and spiritual needs are met and the family is supported and guided throughout the experience.
For information on hospice care, please call (516) 897-1110.
Bereavement Counseling
Our Counseling Center Staff also offer a weekly bereavement support group for anyone struggling with the loss of a loved one. When you’re coping with the loss of someone dear, support from others can make it easier. Led by mental health professionals, this group provides a setting where individuals, friends, and family members can discuss their feelings about their loss.
For more information, call: The Counseling Center at (516) 897-1270.