EIN: 27-0743419
Mission Statement
Touch. Teach. Advocate.
We touch people affected by illness. We teach massage therapists how to provide care safely and effectively. We advocate for access to that care and for a broader role for massage therapists in healthcare.
Program Summary
Service- our team of specially trained massage therapists provide care for people affected by serious illness in hospitals, clinics, infusion centers and patient’s homes.
Education- our courses are offered live and in-person as well as asynchronous and synchronous online offerings. Our educational content addresses the skills of massage therapy for serious illness as well as skills (like trauma-informed care, cultural humility, collaborative communication, etc) necessary to provide effective, sustainable care for all healthcare providers.
Research- our team participated in and published research in two major peer-reviewed medical journals in 2023, making a measurable and unique contribution to the body of research about the value of massage therapists in serious illness care. We also submitted two research proposals to the National Cancer Institute and the Massage Therapy Foundation for funding in 2024.
Impact Statement
In 2023, our therapists provided more than 10,000 massage therapy sessions to people affected by serious illness (which includes patients, lay caregivers and healthcare workers). We had more than 12,000 enrollments in our courses and we published papers in both the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and the Annals of Palliative Medicine about the value of massage therapists in serious illness care.
How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?
Donations help us expand our programs and provide scholarships for those who might not otherwise be able to afford our trainings. They also allow us to maintain memberships in national palliative care organizations like C-TAC (Coalition to Transform Advanced Care) and NHPCO (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization). Donations fund the cost of attendance and presentation at national healthcare conferences and supports our research efforts.
Information provided March 2024