ADDRESSING THE WHOLE PERSON, NOT JUST THE DISEASE

In Alameda County, cancer is the second leading cause of death (after heart disease). A cancer diagnosis is a devastating thing to hear, causing confusion, anger, grief, and a sense of helplessness.  That is why the Cancer Navigator Program of the Alameda County Medical Center is so important to a cancer patient and their family.

The Cancer Navigator program helps patients understand what's happening to them so they can regain a feeling of control when it seems there is none. The program links patients to the community and medical center resources they might need and, most importantly, help them find the courage to heal.

The program is a unique project that provides personalized assistance and emotional support to newly diagnosed cancer patients, who are uninsured or underinsured. The Navigators will coordinate diagnoses and treatment services to help these patients through the often confusing maze of specialists, testing sites and therapy centers with which they are confronted. By providing comprehensive care at the onset of diagnosis, we hope to improve the patients' decision-making and coping skills, recover periods and overall well-being.

The program, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, offers cancer education through print/media material and one-on-one informational and counseling sessions. The Foundation’s support of the Cancer Navigator program enhances patients' quality of life as they go through the difficult physical and overwhelming emotional challenges that are associated with cancer disease.

Your support toward this award-winning program will help sustain the current program.