Our Founders
Hospital Companions, Inc. was founded by Cheryl Formento and Kathleen Benner, two women who learned first-hand the challenges and emotional strain a loved-one's hospitalization can bring. It was through their own personal experiences they learned of the support patients and their families need, and may not get, during a hospitalization.
Cheryl experienced the difficulties that so many other people are facing today - trying to care for a family member from a distance. Cheryl lost her father three years ago to lung cancer, a battle he fought for almost 5 years. Getting frequent, accurate health information during his hospitalizations was extremely difficult. Dissemination of information once again fell upon the patient and his spouse. Cheryl was left waiting by the phone during many of his health crises, feeling out of touch and guilty about not being at his bedside.
Kathleen experienced the stress of having her infant son hospitalized during an illness. She struggled with the pressures of having another child at home and the maternal need to be at her son's bedside, so he would not be alone at the hospital. Kathleen and her husband learned of the challenges in trying to be two places at once, and the guilt associated with who they couldn't be with at the time.
The turning point for both women was after the loss of their grandfather, who had been hospitalized for an extended period. Once again experiencing the strained lines of communication, the stresses to be in too many places at once and guilt of it all, they formed Hospital Companions, Inc. in the hopes of assisting patients and their families during some of life's most difficult moments.
We would like to be of assistance to any family who has a loved one in the hospital. One way we can help is through our Patient Page℠. Hospital Companions can manage a Patient Page℠ for families anywhere in the world. If your family could use an easy way to communicate about the care of a loved-one, please contact us. We can help.
If you are a healthcare provider, contact us to see how we can partner to offer support services and tools to your patients and their families.
