Boston Celtics honor Jimmy Fund Clinic "Play Lady"
Lisa Scherber (left) makes the Jimmy Fund Clinic playroom a safe haven for young patients
Celebrity visits are one of Lisa Scherber's many responsibilities as activities coordinator for the Jimmy Fund Clinic, so her Dana-Farber colleagues no doubt enjoyed seeing the tables turned recently on one of the Institute's most beloved staff members.
To the cheers of about 50 fellow clinic employees and their guests at the Fleet Center arena, Scherber was honored as a "Hero Among Us" during the Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks basketball game on Jan. 15. The distinction, bestowed upon Scherber in an on-court ceremony as an announcer read her accomplishments, is given at each Celtics home game to individuals who "through their unique commitment and humanitarian spirit, have made exceptional and lasting contributions to our community."
Previous winners since the award's 1997 inception include a Nobel laureate, athletic greats in a variety of sports, and (posthumously) firefighters lost on duty in Worcester and the World Trade Center attacks. By contrast, Scherber's achievements usually go unheralded outside the confines of the Dana-Farber campus. But to the many young patients, families, and colleagues who see her in action at the clinic and as host of various events throughout the year, there is no mistaking her hero status.
From her cramped office on Dana 3 teeming with stuffed animals, toys, and videos - along with an "emergency" candy drawer for staffers - Scherber makes sure the playroom just outside her door is a safe haven for children awaiting checkups, chemotherapy treatments, and other procedures. Parents and siblings have someone to turn to with questions and concerns, and caregivers and other staff have a coworker they can count on for insights and ideas.
A Ray of Sunshine
"Lisa is sunshine," says Holcombe Grier, MD, associate chief of pediatric medical oncology at DFCI. "So many people, when they hear what we do, immediately give you the 'oh, that must be so depressing' line. Spend a half-hour in the clinic, and you no longer hear those words. Every day, the kids here for treatment come skipping in from the parking lot with smiles on their faces, anxious to tell Lisa what's happening in their lives. The teenage patients look to her for comfort and humor, and the entire staff adores and depends on her. She so richly deserves this honor."
Besides getting congratulations from Celtics star Antoine Walker and seeing a photo of her and Jimmy Fund Clinic patients displayed on the Fleet Center's Jumbotron scoreboard, Scherber received an engraved crystal trophy during the ceremony. From their seats in the stands, Institute staff unfurled a banner reading "DFCI Congratulates Lisa Scherber" made by clinic facilitators and patients.
"The best part of the night was having all my co-workers screaming in the stands as they heard my name go over the Fleet Center sound system," recalls Scherber, who was joined at the game by her husband Bill and brother Steven. "I work with the most amazing people who all make this place wonderful. They belonged on the court right next to me, but it was so special knowing they were all there."
The Play Lady
Affectionately known as "the Play Lady" by young patients, Scherber started out as a Jimmy Fund Clinic volunteer in 1990 while working full-time nights as an associate producer at Boston's WBZ-TV channel 4. Feeling that her 12 hours at Dana-Farber were "easily the best part of my week," she kept them up and left television to get a master's degree in counseling psychology at Lesley College. When a staff job as clinic coordinator at the Institute opened up in 1992, she took it.
From the beginning, she saw her role as making young patients comfortable while integrating herself with physicians, nurses, and other clinic staff. "This is a safe area for kids, and if I'm not smiling and joking around when the nurses and doctors come to get them for a shot or treatment, they don't feel safe," explains Scherber. "For many kids, this feels like a second home."
Much of the credit, of course, goes to the woman at the center of it all. "She's really the glue that keeps everybody together," says Karen Conley, RN, MS, AOCN, program manager for pediatric oncology. "As a child-life specialist, she can look at the family's experience in the clinic from a unique angle. She's part of our Nursing and Patient Services team and contributes to the plan of care as much as the nurses, social workers, and pharmacists. If there is something the kids need, or a way we can improve a process, she's in my office immediately to let me know."
Conley says Scherber has been a key resource during the Jimmy Fund Clinic renovation project, helping to design the new playroom, waiting area, and special space for teenage patients (all slated for completion this year). "The Pediatric Patient and Family Advisory Council has one rotating staff spot each year, and this year they overwhelmingly wanted Lisa to be in that spot," adds Conley.
To help clinic families get to know each other and caregivers away from the hospital, Scherber has developed a series of popular events. The winter and summer festivals drew a combined 2,100 guests during 2002, and smaller outings such as trips to area sporting events and shows are always on the schedule. New ideas in the works include securing family passes to local museums and a "Mom's Day at the Spa."
'Vintage Lisa'
Most of the time, however, she is in the playroom keeping spirits high. "If somebody wants a video or toy and we don't have it, it's there the next day - Lisa will just go on her own time and pick it up," attests Annette Feinstein, one of several clinic volunteers Scherber oversees and who were on hand at the Fleet Center. "She's always thinking about how to make things easier for the children and the parents, and she never wants any recognition."
So when the Celtics offered her 100 tickets for the Feb. 15 game, "She pressed from the start that this be an award for the entire clinic," explains Conley. "She said, 'We always have these great events for patients and families, why don't we make this a thank-you for the staff?' It might have been the first time she didn't put patients first, but it was vintage Lisa."
