UAMS’ Linda House Honored by American Cancer Society

By Spencer Watson

Christy McCreight (left) and Krista Kirksey (right) of the American Cancer Society presents Linda House with an award honoring her volunteer work.

April 1, 2015 | Linda House never misses a chance to offer a helping hand to patients at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. As the institute’s patient and family liaison, House greets patients and family members with a smile, offering support and services to make their lives a little easier.

 

While her dedication is well known at the Cancer Institute, it’s also caught the attention of the American Cancer Society (ACS), where she was recently named the Arkansas chapter’s 2015 Patient Liaison Volunteer of the Year.

 

“Linda is a huge community volunteer and brings so many skills to the Cancer Institute,” said Krista Kirksey, ACS health systems manager for hospitals. “She is always bright, cheery, helpful and a delight to work with.”

 

In her position at UAMS, House coordinates the Look Good, Feel Better program for outpatients at the Cancer Institute and assists with the program for hospital inpatients.

 

Led by specially trained cosmetologists, Look Good Feel Better teaches beauty techniques to women in active cancer treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Sessions are held at 1:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month in the Patient Support Pavilion and in the UAMS hospital. For information or to register for an upcoming session, call 501-686-5578.

 

“It’s always a stressful time when patients are in the hospital or going through treatment. Linda manages to create as comfortable an environment as she can,” Kirksey said.

 

House has worked with the Look Good, Feel Better program since 2011, coordinates with the ACS to provide services for patients, and volunteers for a variety of events.