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Institute for Health & Healing, Volunteer Massage Team

"We combine ancient therapies with Western modern medicine, spirit with science, technology with touch.
It's a partnership that works." William B. Stewart, MD.
Medical Director, Institute for Health & Healing

The vision of The Institute for Health & Healing (IHH) is to provide comprehensive integrative medicine services within major medical centers. We are dedicated to support healing and healthier ways for living for both individuals and their communities.

Description:
The Volunteer Massage Team of the Institute for Health and Healing offers gentle massage to in-patients free of charge at Marin General Hospital. Our team consists of California State Certified Massage Therapists. While skill and technique are foundational, the most important aspect of what we do is to provide human and humane contact through gentle caring touch and to offer our undivided attention and presence.
Many volunteers find this work to be so satisfying and rewarding that they remain with the Massage Team for many years after completing the initial 100 hour commitment.

Some benefits you may experience:

• Increased understanding of hospital culture, procedures and protocols.
• Increased knowledge of medical issues and diagnosis
• Participation in a patient's healing journey
• Preparation for future work in a medical setting or healing center.
• Expanded capacity for compassion, empathy and loving kindness.



History:
During the 1980's, a breast cancer patient received care and treatment at Marin General Hospital and the Cancer Center at 1350 So. Eliseo. While she found her medical care to be excellent, she found there was little support for the non medical aspects of an illness that had turned her inner and external life upside down. Her response to her experience was to offer a grant to Marin General Hospital for the development of healing environments, an oncology family support system and the introduction of guided imagery, expressive arts and massage. Feeling strongly about the power of human touch, she stipulated that the hospital institute a massage program to begin on the Oncology unit and then gradually expand to other units.

This generous donation birthed the Humanities Program and the introduction of volunteer massage on the Shared Care Unit in 1990. Since then, the Massage Team has grown substantially and now offers free in-patient massage throughout the hospitals. The Humanities Program was expanded and re-organized as one of the components of the Institute of Health & Healing, now an integral part of four Sutter Hospitals.

We gratefully acknowledge our early pioneers, Leslie Davenport, Humanities director and Joan Clayton, former Massage Team Coordinator. We are generously supported by the MGH Volunteers and Gift Shop.



Contact person: Denni Adamson, Massage Coordinator, (phone), (email)


Main office number: (415) 925-7624
Office fax number: (415) 925-0219

Address:


5 Bon Air Rd., Suite 121` Larkspur, CA 94939 (See a map)


Web Site: http://www.myhealthandhealing.org

Directions:

From northern Marin and Sonoma, take Hwy 101 South to the Larkspur Landing/Greenbrae exit and turn right. Continue past the Greenbrae Shopping center on your left to Bon Air Rd. Turn left on Bon Air Rd, then right at. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Golden Gate Transit at Marin General Hospital, 5 minutes, max. minute walk

Last updated on April 22, 2010