Association of Faculty and Friends supports autism-friendly Emergency Department training

Betty Rigberg of the Association of Faculty and Friends presents a check to the Department of Emergency Medicine. From left are Marie Hankinson, vice president of nursing; Dr. Susan Promes, Emergency Medicine chair; Rigberg; and Jen Lau, Pediatric Emergency Department nurse manager.

The Association of Faculty and Friends (AFF) of the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine donated $12,500 to the Department of Emergency Medicine on Nov. 14 to establish the AFF Emergency Department Sensory Awareness Program.

This new program will focus on helping patients with autism spectrum disorder and their families when they visit the emergency department. The funds will also be used to provide training to emergency department staff in order to equip them with the skills and procedures needed to ensure these patients receive the highest level of care.

“AFF’s gift is filling a need that many in the community may not be aware of,” said Megan Weber, associate director of community fundraising and cause marketing. “The emergency department can be a very frightening and upsetting experience for an individual who is on the autism spectrum. The Department of Emergency Medicine is working to make the visits of these patients and their families as easy as possible, given the circumstances.”

Learn more about AFF on its website.

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