A new resource is available to patients and families who have experienced medical harm. Based at the Betsy Lehman Center, the statewide Patient and Family Peer Support Network connects people with volunteers trained in peer support who have had a similar experience. In addition to listening and providing emotional support, volunteers can help them find additional resources.

Volunteer peer supporter Sue Nevins, R.N., intimately understands the importance of this work. More than 10 years ago, she was left with permanent facial palsy resulting from a surgical error. She was struggling with anxiety and depression when she met Linda Kenney, who is now Director of Peer Support Programs at the Betsy Lehman Center.

“I thought to myself, ‘I’m not alone!’ To have someone on the other end of the phone — someone who knows how it feels — is what we search for,” Nevis says. “Talking with Linda that day was the beginning of my healing journey.”

Learn more about the Patient and Family Peer Support Network. Printed brochures are available by request.