A registered nurse with more than three decades of nursing and Jewish communal experience, Chaya Lasson was recently named the new director of Jewish hospice and palliative care at BridgingLife hospice care.
“As a well-connected member of the Jewish community and entrenched in the Baltimore community, I’m excited to continue serving families in this role,” said Lasson, a Northwest Baltimore resident. “My passion is definitely connecting people and being a liaison for the community with physicians, and providers and educating staff on values that are important to our diverse Jewish population.”
A partner of LifeBridge Health, BridgingLife is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring the delivery of high-quality end-of-life care for seriously ill patients and those who love them. Accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program, BridgingLife is also Medicare-certified and licensed by the State of Maryland.
In her new role, Lasson will serve as a liaison between the medical and Jewish faith-based communities, while providing continuing education to health care providers and clinical staff about how to align the care of patients with Jewish values.
Lasson previously worked as neonatal intensive care unit nurse for two decades before becoming a health educator in the Jewish community. She also served as Jewish hospice program manager at a local hospice facility.
During her career, Lasson has created partnerships to engage and empower communities, connect people to appropriate resources, and help people make care decisions based on accurate information and aligned with their faith.
Some of the initiatives Lasson plans to implement include community outreach events to educate the public about the services provided by BridgingLife for those facing serious illness and those at the end of life.
“I’m pleased to have Chaya join our BridgingLife team,” said Regina Bodnar, assistant vice president of hospice and palliative services at LifeBridge Health. “With her enthusiasm, extensive experience and passion for helping people, I am confident she will be an asset to our team and in fulfilling our mission to provide high-quality palliative and end-of-life care to the communities we serve.”
Said Neil Meltzer, president and CEO of LifeBridge Health: “LifeBridge Health’s purpose statement is ‘Caring for Our Communities Together,’ and caring for the Jewish community with initiatives such as this new director position, while also remaining sensitive to every patient’s value and belief, is a very important part of our history and who we are.”
For information, visit lifebridgehealth.org/BridgingLife/BridgingLife.aspx.
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