Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center launches LivingStories
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in partnership with StoryWork International will certify our first class of LivingStories volunteers on May 3.
LivingStories is a free program for patients at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. Based in extensive research around Life Narrative Interviews, specially trained volunteers visit patients to conduct LivingStories reflective conversations. Patients are encouraged to focus on positive memories, strengths and coping skills while telling pieces of their life history. Reflection on these memories is shown to reduce anxiety, increase coping, and improve outlook when facing medical challenges.
LivingStories began as a pilot program funded by the Scott and Michelle Livengood Foundation. Scott Livengood, owner of Dewey’s Bakery and co-founder of StoryWork International said, “It has been deeply gratifying to see this program make such a meaningful difference in the lives of the participants. It’s a privilege to have been a part of the program’s development and we’re excited to have been asked to lead the implementation throughout the Novant system. It is a powerful example of Novant Health’s commitment to creating a remarkable patient experience.”
“The LivingStories program is a wonderful way to help patients manage the challenges of a hospital stay,” said Melissa Perrell Phipps, Novant Health patient advocacy officer and VP of patient services. “Novant Health sees each of our patients as a unique, whole person. By training volunteers in the LivingStories interview process, we can offer an intentional, deep interaction for our patients that can provide long-term positive impact. Both volunteers and patients benefit, as well as family members and the clinical team. It’s a program that continues to give, full circle.”
LivingStories is based on research conducted at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and StoryWork International in 2014-2015. Richard Stone, CEO of StoryWork International, said, “We are excited to partner with Novant Health to now expand this important service to their patients. Our research, and that of many others, has demonstrated that personal narrative is a consistently proven coping intervention in healthcare settings. It not only helps patients to feel understood as a full person, but can have a real and lasting impact on their outlook during a difficult time.”
The next LivingStories training for volunteers will take place May 24-25 at the Novant Health Conference Center. For more information on being a certified LivingStories volunteer, please contact Novant Health Volunteer Services: 336-718-5745.
About StoryWork International StoryWork International is headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC, and is devoted to taking the power of story to a new level of impact—unlocking the human spirit of creativity, innovation, and collaboration in business, healthcare, and education. The organization was founded by Richard Stone and Scott Livengood, and is developing a host of powerful applications for unleashing the productivity of businesses, improving the patient experience, and creating new research-based approaches to enhancing the learning experiences of students and educators. For more information, please visit our website at storywork.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About Novant Health Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Named in 2016 by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the nation’s 150 best places to work in healthcare, Novant Health network consists of more than 1,500 physicians and over 25,000 employees that provide care at over 470 locations, including 14 medical centers and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics.
Headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the health system serves more than 4 million patients annually and in 2015 provided more than $706 million in community benefit, including charity care and services. Diversity MBA has recognized the organization as one of the 50 best places for women and managers of diverse background to work and SK&A ranks Novant Health among the top 25 integrated health systems in the nation. Novant Health provides care in Virginia under the joint operating company, Novant Health UVA Health System.
For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Contact: Richard Stone, CEO StoryWork International 407-599-0101 stone@storywork.com
About Scott Livengood
Scott Livengood is the owner and CEO of Dewey’s Bakery, Inc., a commercial wholesale bakery with a respected national brand of ultra premium cookies and crackers.
Previously, Scott worked at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for 27 years, starting as a trainee in 1977. He was appointed President of the company in 1992, then CEO and Chairman of the Board.
Scott has served on numerous boards including the Carter Center, the Calloway School of Business and the Babcock School of Management, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.
He started a new business, StoryWork International, in 2016 with Richard Stone. The signature achievement to date is LivingStories, a story-based program for improved patient experiences and outcomes in partnership with Novant Health.
