FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Michelle Aliprantis, MBA
Regional Director of Marketing and Communications
215.785.9817
Pinwheels and Suicide Awareness
East Norriton, PA (09/12/2023)—On Monday, September 11, employees of Suburban Community Hospital set up pinwheels outside of the hospital to bring awareness to National Suicide Prevention Week. Each pinwheel represents a life lost to suicide in 2022 in Montgomery County, PA. The pinwheels project was partnered with the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Task Force and Horsham Clinic.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States today. Also, in 2020, suicide was the 13th leading cause of death among veterans overall and the second leading cause of death among veterans under age 45, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Raising awareness in our community about the signs of suicide prevention is our chance to ensure that those who need help have access to it and aren’t living at risk,” said Jim Hazlett, CNO of Suburban Community Hospital. “We’re also happy to support such an important cause while partnering with the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Task Force and Horsham Clinic.”
Some factors or conditions that increase a person’s risk for suicide include mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Other factors are substance abuse, trauma, previous suicide attempts, and a family history of suicide attempts. Beyond the risk factors, suicidal people often display warning signs.
“Suburban Community Hospital is honored to be selected to bring awareness to suicide prevention in our community,” said Michelle Aliprantis, Regional Director of Marketing and Communications of Prime Healthcare Pennsylvania Region. “It is the mission of Suburban Community Hospital to ‘inspire hope and promote wellness.’ We are dedicated to helping our partners in care by bringing awareness to such a remarkable cause.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with a decline in mental health, contact the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Taskforce at 1-855-634-HOPE (4673), and for Montgomery County Veterans, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1. Whether through this program or another service, they have a team that can help identify, address, and support the emotional needs of those in the community.
If you or someone you know is in a mental health situation that requires immediate attention, call 911.
###
About Suburban Community Hospital: Suburban Community Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute care hospital, and a member of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity. For over 65 years, Suburban Community Hospital has been delivering quality healthcare to Montgomery County and the surrounding region. Suburban Community Hospital, originally named Riverview Hospital, opened in 1944. Chartered at 740 Sandy Street in Norristown, PA, Riverview Osteopathic Hospital would provide medical and surgical services to the sick, afflicted, and injured, and would educate persons in the care and nursing. As part of Prime Healthcare Services, headquartered in Ontario, California, Suburban Community Hospital is focused on becoming one of the leaders in technology.
Prime Healthcare is an award-winning hospital management company operating 45 acute care hospitals in 14 states, including Roxborough Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia, Lower Bucks Hospital in Bucks County, and Suburban Community Hospital in Montgomery County.
About Prime Healthcare and Prime Healthcare Foundation: Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 45 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states, providing over 2.6 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation’s leading health systems with nearly 50,000 employees and physicians dedicated to providing the highest quality healthcare. Fourteen of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Based in Ontario, California, Prime Healthcare is nationally recognized for award-winning quality care and has been named a Top 10 and Top 15 Health System by IBM Watson Health. Its hospitals have been named among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” 58 times and have received more Patient Safety Excellence Awards from Healthgrades than any other health system in the past six years. To learn more, please visit www.primehealthcare.com
About The Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Task Force: The mission of the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Taskforce is to develop and implement strategies to reduce the risk of suicide in Montgomery County through the collaborative efforts of community agencies and service providers.
About The Horsham Clinic: For more than 60 years, The Horsham Clinic has helped children, teens, adults, and older adults manage and overcome a number of mental health issues in suburban Philadelphia. We are committed to providing quality behavioral health care services that effectively and efficiently meet the individual needs of every patient we serve.