At Chester County Hospital (CCH), Surgical Prep and Recovery Nurse Christina Ferrarini, BSN, RN, CAPA, has spent her career caring for patients as they go through the surgical process for cancer treatment. She created care bags filled with items she found useful during her own cancer treatment to support patients after their chemotherapy port placements and surgeries.
In January 2023, Ferrarini found herself on the receiving end of care when she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. She underwent chemotherapy and various cancer treatments at Penn Medicine for several months and she is now cancer-free. Ferrarini returned to work in September 2023.
“Having been on the patient side myself, it was an eye-opening experience,” Ferrarini said, understanding firsthand what the patients go through. “I wanted to do something for patients to let them know that we were thinking about them and to provide just a little extra comfort.”
Each of Ferrarini’s treatment bags included items that can help during chemo and post-surgery recovery, such as reusable water bottles, hand sanitizers, lip balms, tissues, and mints, as well as a Penn Medicine lanyard, and a personalized note from nurses and staff.
Ferrarini also collaborated with an oncology nurse practitioner to curate a list of cancer resources to include in the patient’s discharge paperwork. The list includes various Penn Medicine cancer resources and other credible websites designed to help the patient throughout the continuum of care, from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship.
Ferrarini and her team are currently giving out the treatment care bags in CCH’s Prep/Recovery and Ambulatory Care departments. The patients receiving these bags express how supported they feel and that this compassionate care makes such a difference in their cancer journey. Ferrarini hopes to expand the bag delivery to other departments. “I’m so happy to know we are bringing a small bit of support and encouragement to our patients,” she said.
Learn more at Chester County Hospital. Founded in 1892 as the county’s first hospital, the non-profit has grown into a 329-bed inpatient facility in West Chester. It also has outpatient services in Exton, West Goshen, New Garden, Jennersville, and Kennett Square. In 2013, Chester County Hospital became part of Penn Medicine, one of the world’s leading academic medical centers dedicated to medical education, biomedical research, and excellent patient care. In addition to quality-driven medical and surgical services, the hospital also offers home health and hospice care; occupational and employee health care; professional and technical education; outpatient laboratory; radiology and physical therapy services; prenatal care and gynecological care for all women, including the underserved; and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. In 2020, Chester County Hospital completed the largest expansion in its history. The project welcomed a state-of-the-art procedural platform with 15 operating room suites, a 99-bed patient tower, a new main entrance, and an expanded and renovated Emergency Department.
