Ellen Hermanson Foundation To Award $260,000 In Grants

The Ellen Hermanson Foundation (www.ellensrun.org) has announced that it will award $260,000 in grants to The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital (www.southamptonhospital.org) and Ellen's Well (www.ellenswell.org). 

"The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center is the 'jewel in the crown' of the Hospital," noted Robert Chaloner, President and CEO of Southampton Hospital. "Our partnership has been a model for how organizations can collaborate to touch and save lives." 

The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center, which has been designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR), will use the grant to fund a state-of-the-art high resolution ultrasound machine that will provide vital ultrasound diagnostic services. The Center provides clients with a wide range of breast health services, such as education, early detection screenings and breast cancer treatment and support. 

Ellen's Well, an initiative of and funded by The Ellen Hermanson Foundation and administered by the Southampton Hospital Foundation, will allot the funds towards support groups and programs that cover wellness, anxiety, stress reduction, and mindfulness. It will ensure that more than 300 breast cancer survivors receive assistance from Ellen's Well's, whose mission is "to address the immediate needs and life issues that are created by a diagnosis of, and treatment for, breast and gynecologic cancers." 

"With deep roots in the local community, the Foundation is committed to keeping the money it raises on the East End where it can do the most good," explained Julie Ratner, Foundation President. "Its goal is to make access to care available to everyone regardless of their personal resources or health insurance status." 

The Ellen Hermanson Foundation was founded in 1997 to honor the memory of Ellen Hermanson and to continue the lifesaving work that she committed so much of her time and energy to. The Foundation, which serves breast cancer patients on the East End of Long Island - where breast cancer diagnosis and mortality rates are among the highest in New York State, focuses on "educational outreach about the importance of mammography and early detection to medically under-served communities of women, psychosocial support services that address the broad range of issues facing breast cancer patients, survivors, spouses, families, and friends; and research on improving understanding of pain management and methods for treating pain."