Support Services
In the effort to support our patients, their families and caregivers, Riverview Medical Center offers a variety of support services during your stay.
Art Therapy
Created in 1980, Riverview Medical Center's Art Therapy Program has been providing support groups for children who have experienced an illness or death in the family. This program provides a safe, creative outlet for children's concerns and feelings about illness and death, using the art therapy process. The groups are led by an experienced licensed clinical social worker and a board certified art therapist.
Throughout the years the program has been flexible to meet the needs of the community by providing specialized groups for families affected by September 11, sibling loss and parent art therapy groups. In the past 18 months, art therapy services have expanded to the hospital inpatient oncology patients and the SHARE program for parents who have lost a baby either through miscarriage or stillbirth.
Riverview's Art Therapy was founded in part by long time Riverview nurse, Helen Riegelman, R.N., in response to a request from a hospice patient who was dying of cancer, and desperately looking for help for her own grieving children. The program was one of the first of its kind in the Northeast and was modeled on a similar program in California.
Now 30 years later, Riverview's program has provided help to over 2,500 children. Initially created to meet the needs of families with a cancer diagnosis, the program has evolved to assist families with chronic and terminal illnesses as well as deaths from any cause.
If you know a child that may benefit from the program, please call Jane Weinheimer, Art Therapy Program Coordinator at 732-530-2382.
Pastoral Care
Our pastoral care department identifies and responds to the spiritual needs of our patients, their families, and the Medical Center staff. To receive a visit from the chaplain or another member of the Pastoral Care team, please ask your nurse to page Pastoral Care.
Patient Representatives
Please consider our patient representatives ready to provide general assistance during your stay at the hospital. They will be happy to answer your questions, address any concerns you may have, and act on your behalf.
You can reach our Patient Relations Department by dialing 732-530-2484. If you require immediate assistance, dial "0" for the operator, who will put you in touch with the appropriate person.
Pet Therapy
"Man's Best Friend" has true meaning at Riverview.Providing a welcome break in the day for patients, a new animal-assisted therapy program at Riverview provides patients comfort and companionship in a way that increases emotional well-being and promotes healing for patients through weekly visits.
"Willy Wonka" is a chocolate-colored Standard Poodle with the work-ethic and heart of any dedicated volunteer at Riverview. The program is coordinated through the hospital's volunteer program, and visits the hospital through a partnership with Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs Inc, a nonprofit organization based in New Jersey.
Did you know…?
- Research by the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) suggests that visits with animals may improve patient outcomes, decrease length of hospital stay, help with confusion, depression, and manage pain symptoms.
- Interaction with animals has also been shown to reduce blood pressure, increase sensory stimulation, inspire a sense of purpose, increase social interactions with staff, and reduce loneliness by creating a sense of companionship.
Social Work / Case Management / Utilization Review
Our personnel are available to assist you and your family throughout your hospital stay, providing discharge planning services, referrals to community services, and counseling.
Volunteers
Our volunteers make up a vital part to our health care team. Through their donation of time and services, they fill an important role in the Medical Center and the community by helping us deliver high-quality medical care. They assist nurses and provide personal services for patients, including reading and delivering books & newspapers.
