May 7, 2018 – Englewood Hospital has been designated a stigma-free zone after demonstrating a dedicated effort to educating the community and offering resources to help combat discrimination and negative perceptions toward individuals with mental illness.
“With the number of cases of mental illness on the rise, it is imperative that patients feel safe and comfortable seeking care,” explained Dr. Hillary Cohen, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Englewood Hospital. “At Englewood Hospital, we have always and will always treat those with mental illness in the same way we would treat anyone, with any condition – and that’s with compassion, diligence, and a patient-first approach. Being designated as a stigma-free zone is a wonderful recognition of those efforts and a signal to the community that we are doing all that we can to help break down barriers and provide a judgment-free space to seek care.”
Englewood Hospital hopes to raise awareness of mental illness, provide an effective way to reduce stigma against those who suffer from it, and encourage individuals with mental illness to seek services and feel supported. The designation of stigma-free will raise awareness of Englewood Hospital’s mental health resources, so no patient or community member need feel hopeless or alone. The elimination of stigma will enable people to ask for help when they need it, so they can start on the road to recovery, have hope for their future, and be spared avoidable tragedy.
The resolution was made during the City of Englewood’s third annual town hall meeting organized by the Englewood Municipal Alliance and Stigma-Free Task Force, on Tuesday, May 1 at Englewood Hospital.