FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2010
Media Contact: Jenny Stickley jenny@hatcherfoundation.org
Austin Hatcher Foundation Appoints
Clinic Director for Hatch’s house of hope
Chattanooga, TN: The Austin Hatcher Foundation is excited to announce the appointment of Patricia Kassebaum as Clinic Director of Hatch’s house of hope. As Director, Trish will focus her time on development of programs and services to benefit each family member of the cancer affected child, as well as overseeing the day to day operations of Hatch’s.
With over 20 years of experience in the medical field, Ms. Kassebaum has formerly served as Residency Coordinator for the UT College of Medicine, Department of Surgery, as well as Quality Assurance Coordinator for the American College of Surgeons’ Advance Trauma Life Support Training. She also served as Practice Coordinator for Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine in Charlotte, NC, and coordinated the Neuropedic Clinic while in Charlotte.
“Hatch’s will benefit greatly from the level of medical administrative expertise that Ms. Kassebaum brings to the program,” said Jim Osborn MD MSPH, Co-Founder of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. “Under her direction, not only will the current programs in place for pediatric cancer families flourish, many more programs will be created.”
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for a carefree childhood was formed in 2006 after Amy Jo and Jim Osborn lost their infant son Hatch to a rare form of pediatric cancer. The foundation’s mission is to support research towards the diagnosis, treatment and development of a cure for pediatric cancer, and to provide support and hope to children and families undergoing treatment, as well as those who have lost children due to cancer. The foundation has developed a landmark group of programs and services essential to help cancer stricken children and their families function within their community. All services provided by the Foundation are free of charge, funded solely by the generous donations of its supporters.
Hatch’s house of hope is a unique Austin Hatcher Foundation concept designed to empower children and families affected by pediatric cancer to thrive. The landmark cancer care center equips children and their family members with the educational, emotional and social skills necessary to succeed. Specifically, these services include Problem Solving Skills Training, neurocognitive testing, educational programming to help effected children overcome their cognitive and learning deficits, emotional counseling for the cancer affected child, their siblings and parents, and marital and financial counseling to ensure a safe environment to maximize the family growth as a whole. All services at Hatch’s are free to its guests, funded entirely by donations. Erlanger Medical Mall in Chattanooga, TN, is the site of the first Hatch’s house of hope, which opened September 18, 2009. This Hatch’s is the model for other Hatch’s in the planning stages nationwide. For more information, visit www.hatcherfoundation.org or www.hatcherfoundation.org.