Support Groups

If you’re looking to slim down or get back on track with eating right and exercising, these classes can help. Dietitians offer expert advice and guidance for people 14 and older. For more information:

Hershey call 717-531-7260

This free strength-training program for older adults is led by trained volunteers in churches and other community locations. In three, one-hour sessions a week, you can get stronger, feel better, make new friends, maintain independence — and have fun doing it. For more information, email us.

As a benefit to patients in the program and as a service to the community, the Penn State Health Middletown Surgical Weight Loss program hosts a monthly support group.

The group generally meets on the second Wednesday of each month virtually and at Penn State Health Medical Group – Middletown. All pre-op and post-op patients, friends and family are welcome.

Please call 717-531-7260 to register and receive information on upcoming sessions.

This group provides an opportunity to share cancer related experiences and provide encouragement, hope, education and emotional support to patients with bladder cancer and their families through formal meetings, personal contact and newsletters. This group supports bladder cancer research through awareness functions, seminars and fundraising. For more information, please call the support group liaison at 717-531-0003, extension 285863 or email Theda Shaw, RN, MSN, Clinical Program Coordinator.

All patients and family members affected by leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma are invited to join us for an evening of support, friendly conversation and refreshments. Please come and share your challenges, concerns and thoughts with others who have similar experiences.

The BMT Support Group is designed to offer support, encouragement, information and resources regarding all aspects of the stem cell transplant process. The group is open to all Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant patients, family members, caregivers, friends and donors.

For more information, please call 717-531-0003, extension 281210.

We offer several support groups at the Penn State Health Breast Center.

Moving Forward is an informal setting where you can meet other women diagnosed with breast cancer. Sessions are held the second Monday of every month, from 6-7:30 p.m. For more information or to register, contact Nichole Cook at 717-531-7492.

FORCE is a support group for BRCA gene mutation carriers. FORCE provides information, support awareness and advocacy for individuals and families affected by hereditary breast, ovarian and related cancers. Please contact 717-531-1631 for more information.

Pink Ribbon Program is a therapeutic exercise program designed for patients after breast cancer surgery and promotes awareness and advocacy for individuals and families affected by hereditary breast, ovarian and related cancers. The support group focuses on the support and educational needs of patients and families whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. Contact Jennifer Price via email or phone 717-531-7075 for more information.

Sponsored by Audiology at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, this support group provides information about cochlear implant surgery as well as an opportunity for cochlear implant recipients and their families to connect with other implant recipients.

To learn more, please call audiology services at 717-531-6822.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Support Group provides information, support and resources for patients and families with the goal of building a group that allows the Carlino Family Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center patients and their family members to develop connections with and receive support from other patients and care providers. Our scheduled speakers provide practical and up-to-date information on various aspects of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

The meetings are free and take place quarterly from 6-8 p.m.

For more information, contact Rachael Wentzel, IBD support group facilitator at [email protected].

Whether you're newly diagnosed or have had diabetes for many years, our support groups can help you live well with diabetes. Meet others who face the same challenges and learn new healthy lifestyle habits. 

Support Groups are held for Type 1 and latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA), every other month at 30 Hope Drive, Entrance B, on Tuesday's from 6 to 7 p.m. 

For more information, please call 717-531-7922.

This support group is an opportunity for patients and their families to connect virtually during and after their time on ECMO therapy. Participants provide support, encouragement and hope while discussing the challenges and sharing the victories on the path to recovery.

For more information or to RSVP, contact us at 717-531-4632 or [email protected].

This support group for BRCA gene mutation carriers offers information, support, awareness and advocacy for individuals and families affected by hereditary breast, ovarian and related cancers. For more information, call 717-531-1631.

This group provides an opportunity for head and neck cancer patients, as well as their family members, to develop connections with and receive support from other patients and caregivers. The support group meets every fourth Sunday of the month. For more information, call 717-531-8945 or e-mail Head and Neck Support Group.

Hershey Hearts is a peer support group for heart transplant recipients, patients waiting for a heart transplant, their families and caregivers. The group will be facilitated by Eric Popjes, MD. The format of the group will be flexible to meet your expressed needs.

Each session features a guest speaker and is followed by time for group members to share experiences, questions and offer support.

For future dates and topics, please contact the Cardiac Transplant Office at 717-531-7459.

Hope for HS is a support group for people with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). Meet other individuals and their loved ones and exchange questions and experiences. The meetings are facilitated by Penn State Health Department of Dermatology clinicians, researchers and staff.

The group meetings are free and open to patients with HS and their family or caregivers. All meetings are held virtually (online). Please contact the HS chapter director at [email protected] for additional information.

This group provides support and encouragement for patients who have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).

Sessions will feature education on living with an ICD, foster connections among patients and create a safe space to share experiences, feelings and concerns

Email [email protected] for more information.

Offers support and education for patients and family members dealing with blood cancers. The group allows an opportunity for participants to share experiences and enhance coping. For more information, call 610-276-3199.

You are invited to join the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Support Group. During the group’s quarterly in-person meetings you’ll have an opportunity to meet other LVAD recipients and caregivers from the Penn State Health team. Future sessions will include presentations from team members along with discussions among patients. For future LVAD Support Group dates and topics, or to RSVP, please contact the Heart Transplant Office at 717-531-7459.

The Melanoma Support Group has been created to provide support to Stage 3 and 4 melanoma patients and their caregivers by sharing our experiences and practical information while providing encouragement, hope, networking, and educational opportunities. Structured meetings will include introductions, sharing experiences and feelings, exchanging information, and building a sense of belonging. Speakers and experts on topics of interest identified by the group members will be scheduled. We will support melanoma research through advocacy and related activities.

For more information, please contact Carol Mallon, MS, RN, AOCNS at 717-531-5784 or Mary Ellen Loser, BSN, RN, CPSN at 717-531-1657.

No one understands the challenges of being a new mom better than other new moms. Join us weekly to share your experience in an online space of respect, compassion and non-judgment.

You can meet other women diagnosed with breast cancer to share experience, receive support and give strength to each other during and after cancer treatment. Family and significant others are welcome to attend this free group. It’s held on the second Monday of the month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Penn State Health Breast Center, room 1710 A & B. For more information or to register, contact Nichole Cook at 717-531-7492.

Living with multiple sclerosis isn’t easy. It’s a long road filled with many ups and downs. And sometimes our friends and closest family members struggle to understand our challenges.

If you want to connect with and learn from others who are on the MS journey, join the Penn State Health Multiple Sclerosis Support Group. The group meets virtually via Zoom, every third Thursday, monthly, 2-3 p.m.

Contact Shannon Orehek, to reserve your spot or for more information, at 717-531-0003, x289131 or [email protected].

The American Sleep Apnea Association’s AWAKE (Alert, Well and Keeping Energetic) Network holds a local support group at the Penn State Sleep Research and Treatment Center. The program is a patient-centered group for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. It meets quarterly and consists of lectures from sleep specialists and a support group for patients to share their experiences.

Call Penn State Sleep Research and Treatment Center at 717-531-8520 for more information.

The Pink Ribbon Program is a therapeutic exercise program developed by a survivor for patients and survivors. It’s appropriate for all fitness levels and incorporates your doctor’s exercise recommendations. The program helps stretch and strengthen your shoulder, chest, back and abdominal muscles. The exercises improve your range of motion in the areas affected by recent or past breast cancer surgery. For more information, contact Jennifer Price at 717-531-7075.

This support group is open to all men who are newly diagnosed or dealing with recurrent or advanced prostate cancer, along with their spouses, family members and caretakers. Meetings will provide encouragement, hope, education, emotional support, personal interactions, and mentoring of new patients.

Patients, spouses, family members and caregivers receive encouragement, information and support. The Prostate Cancer support group meets quarterly (January, April, July and October) on the second Monday of each month.

For more information, call 717-531-5784.

This group is open to those with pulmonary fibrosis, their family, caregivers and supporters. Sessions provide a venue to ask questions, share experiences and are formatted to provide members with information, support and resources on all aspects of pulmonary fibrosis. Topics are based on member input and are facilitated by professionals in the field from the Gift of Life program and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, including physicians, pulmonary rehabilitation therapists and exercise physiologists.

Meetings are held monthly, 5:30-7 p.m., via Zoom, and are organized by Max Whitehead-Zimmers, Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group Coordinator and pulmonary researcher.

For information on how to attend, please contact Tim Sheehan for specific meeting information at 717-531-2925 or [email protected].

This group is open to caregivers of those with pulmonary fibrosis. The sessions provide a venue to ask questions, share experiences and are formatted to provide members with information, support and resources on all aspects of caregiving and pulmonary fibrosis. Topics are based on member input and are facilitated by professionals in the field from the Gift of Life program and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, including physicians, pulmonary rehabilitation therapists and exercise physiologists.

Meetings are held virtually, via Zoom, and are organized by Tim Sheehan, Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group Coordinator and pulmonary researcher.

For information on how to attend, please contact Tim Sheehan at 717-531-2925 or [email protected].

If you are waiting for or have received a transplant and are interested in networking with others who can relate to what you’re going through and provide you with guidance throughout your transplant journey, please consider attending our quarterly support group for transplant patients and caregivers.

Contacts: 

• Heart Transplant Office: 717-531-7459
• Abdominal Transplant Office: 717-531-6092

The Spinal Cord Injury support group is open to those with spinal cord injuries, their families and support person. The group allows an opportunity for support, socialization and education. Please join us at Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital Cafeteria, 1135 Old West Chocolate Avenue, Hummelstown, PA 17036 every third Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m.

Please contact Nancy Lokey for more information at [email protected].

Strength for the Journey is a free support group for all cancer patients who meet the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 11-noon at St. Joseph Cancer Center. The group provides a lifeline to information, support, and encouragement from diagnosis through survivorship.

For more information, please call 610-378-2517.

This group provides programs of interest to stroke survivors and their caregivers as well as an opportunity for support and socialization.

Meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month, 3-4 p.m. Registration is not required and there is not a fee to attend.

For information on how to attend, please contact Amy Wildasin, 717-531-0003 x286361, [email protected]

As a benefit to patients in the program and as a service to the community, the Penn State Health Lancaster Surgical Weight Loss program hosts a monthly support group. 

The group generally meets on the third Thursday of each month virtually and at Lancaster Medical Center, 2160 State Road, room 1603 Lancaster, Pa. All pre-op and post-op patients, friends and family are welcome.

Please call 223-202-7001 or email Danelle Ziegler at [email protected] to register and receive information on upcoming sessions.
 

The Bereavement Support Group is for anyone experiencing grief due to the death of a loved one. The support group will assist you in understanding how to cope with grief, as well as how to begin turning your mourning into cherished memories of your loved one.

Please register by calling the Spiritual Care Office, Penn State Health St. Joseph at 610-378-2297. Please leave your name, phone number and if you have questions, ask for the staff chaplain.

Meeting time: Wednesday evenings, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, at St. Joseph Medical Center, Bern Campus. The bereavement support group meets once a week for seven weeks. There are three sessions offered throughout the year. January-February, May–June, September–October.

Come and meet other women who are breastfeeding their babies. This free drop-in group is a collaboration between Berks County Breastfeeding Coalition and Penn State Health St. Joseph that focuses on allowing breastfeeding mothers to support each other in a warm, nurturing environment. Breastfeeding mothers and their babies are welcome to drop in for a cup of tea, relax, and chat with others about what’s going on as a new mom. Staff trained in lactation are available to answer any breastfeeding questions with accurate, up-to-date information. Weight checks are free. Moms and babies can come for as many weeks as they would like.

For more information, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

This support group provides programs of interest to patients and their caregivers managing chronic diseases such as COPD, diabetes, heart failure and stroke. Sessions offer an opportunity for support and socialization.

The group meets the third Thursday of every month from 10 to 11 a.m. at Penn State Health St. Joseph - Spring Ridge, 2607 Keiser Blvd., Wyomissing.

The meetings offer a safe environment, activities, shared experiences and information sessions from a variety of health care professionals, said Clinical Disease Coordinator Morgan Boyer.

“Chronic diseases play into exacerbations that force patients to seek emergency services that could be prevented,” she said. “If they have a person who keeps them on point, someone to talk to for support, they have a greater likelihood of success. The goal is for the client to own their disease.”

The groups meet in large rooms that allow for proper social distancing. Participants are screened for COVID-19 and must wear a mask. A Zoom option is available. For more information or to register, call 610-378-2030.

This 10-hour course provides comprehensive diabetes self-management training in four group classes. Topics include nutrition, heart health and exercise, reducing the risk of diabetes-related problems, and diabetes medicines. Classes are offered weekdays and evenings at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center and Penn State Health St. Joseph - Exeter Ridge. For more information and class registration, call 610-378-2030.

This 10-hour course provides comprehensive diabetes self-management training is recognized by the ADA. Classes are offered weekdays and evenings at St. Joseph Medical Center and Exeter Ridge.

For more information, please call 610-378-2030.

Strength for the Journey is a free support group for all cancer patients who meet the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 11-noon at St. Joseph Cancer Center. The group provides a lifeline to information, support, and encouragement from diagnosis through survivorship.

For more information, please call 610-378-2517.

If you’re looking to slim down or get back on track with eating right and exercising, these classes can help. Dietitians offer expert advice and guidance for people 14 and older. For more information:

Hershey call 717-531-7260

If you are grieving the loss of a child, you are not alone, There are others who can relate and understand what you are going through. Join us for an intimate six-week parent support group (spring and fall) that provides an opportunity to meet others who are going through a similar situation. Call 717-531-8521 ext. 282131 or email [email protected].

Share stories and concerns with other parents whose children have been diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech. The group meets quarterly at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital room P1100 from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 717-531-6807.

A cancer diagnosis affects everyone in the family. Children especially need help to cope, understand, and adjust to their family’s new circumstances.

CLIMB® (Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery) a program of The Children’s Treehouse Foundation, is a support program for children ages 6 - 12 who have a caregiver or grandparent diagnosed with cancer. This free six-week program meets one night per week on the Penn State Health campus in Hershey. The program is facilitated by trained hospital staff and volunteers. Pre-registration is required.

Contact Natalie Chango at [email protected] for more information.

Learn more about CLIMB

Sponsored by Audiology at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, this support group provides information about cochlear implant surgery as well as an opportunity for cochlear implant recipients and their families to connect with other implant recipients.

To learn more, please call audiology services at 717-531-6822.

Connect with others who have sustained a concussion to share stories and learn new strategies to manage symptoms. This group meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:15 p.m.

If you are planning to attend and/or would like additional information, please contact Jena Miller via e-mail at [email protected].

Through our State Chapters we are able to give knowledge, give a voice and give hope, directly meeting the comprehensive, lifelong needs of patients with congenital heart disease and their families through support, education, advocacy and research programming.

Local activities include:

• Conquering CHD Kits offering critical information and a personal connection for patients with CHD of all ages through individualized care packages
• Online chat networks bringing people with similar experiences together
• In-person peer support offering patients and families encouragement and insight from someone who has walked a similar path
• Social events providing a safe environment to celebrate life and simple joys together
• Physician education improving understanding of congenital heart disease from the patient and family perspective
• Research promotion and participation helping promising developments become reality
• Advocacy activities sharing our stories to improve federal research funding

For more information specifically about the Pennsylvania chapter, email [email protected].

We offer a parent focus group for parents and patients who have a single ventricle physiology. 

This group meets twice a year to foster connections between families and patients, provide education regarding single ventricles and brainstorm ideas for improvement in the care of these patients.  

Please contact Julie Jones at [email protected] for more information.

The Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Support Group provides adolescent pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients age 12-18 years and their parents with helpful information and the chance to meet others living with IBD.

The meetings take place quarterly at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, rooms P1100/P1100A, and feature a brief presentation on educational topics, followed by discussion for the parents and an activity for the adolescents. 

Please call 717-531-1043 for more information..

As a child, having a sibling with chronic medical needs can feel isolating. Sibshops is an exciting program just made for brothers and sisters of those with special needs or chronic medical needs. Our Sibshops are run by a certified Child Life Specialist and a Certified Recreation Therapy Specialist who have a professional understanding of the impact a child’s special needs or chronic medical needs can have on brothers or sisters. Equally important, they have great kid skills!

For more information on attending a Sibshop, call 717-531-8366 option 1, email Child Life or click here to register.

Support groups provide an opportunity to share your feelings and connect with other parents and caregivers who are experiencing similar struggles.

• Spina Bifida Association
  Phone: 800-621-3141
• Living with Spina Bifida in Central PA (Facebook group) or email [email protected]
• Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania - Linking families of children and adults with disabilities and special needs.
  Phone: 888-727-2706

This group provides quarterly programs of interest to the parents and caregivers of pediatric stroke survivors. Children are invited to join. Registration is not required and there is not a fee to attend. 

Meetings are held virtually on a quarterly basis, Sundays from 2-3 p.m.

For information on how to attend or if you have questions, please contact:

Alicia Richardson
717-531-1390
[email protected]

Randa Gray
717-531-0003, x284641
[email protected]