CancerCare® is now offering a specialized support program to all cancer patients who were physically or emotionally disturbed with the Californian wildfires. This support would include a comprehensive patient assistance program that takes care of the finances and emotional health of a cancer patient affected by California fires by any means.
CancerCare is a leading non-profit organization from the USA that works on the well-being of cancer patients affected by natural disasters. Only in 2017, the organization managed to collect nearly $665,000 for helping cancer patients who had to experience a loss during Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, and Hurricane Maria.
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Before that, in 2005, CancerCare managed to run a cancer-care program for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Hurricane Rita. All of these missions are aimed to help cancer diagnosed patients who are affected by these natural hazards. The funds that it collects turn out to be life-saving for people battling with cancer in these disasters affected areas.
CancerCare was founded in 1944 and from the last 75 years, it has been working on helping cancer patients in all possible ways when they need it the most. It is a universally known fact that cancer patients go through lots of financial and emotional stress during the diagnosis and treatment. During a natural disaster emergency, it is typical for healthy individuals to become vulnerable. So for cancer patients, such situations are even more damaging, which is why CancerCare helps them.
The services that it provides to cancer patients are individual counseling, connecting to support groups remotely and in-person, conducting educational and awareness workshops, publishing the relevant material, financially supporting the patients. All these services are ensured through oncology trained social workers along with medical experts.
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This year, California wildfires have affected a large community that includes cancer patients. This new program by CancerCare‘s is called the “California Wildfires Patient Assistance Program” and it would help in the following way.
- It would support and assist people financially to manage cancer treatment and living with cancer.
- It would refer people battling cancer to peer recourses.
- It would emotionally support them through oncology trained social workers.
- It would educate patients and their families to manage the challenges of living with cancer during the time of natural disasters.
Patricia J. Goldsmith, CEO of CancerCare shares that;
“We are saddened to see the devastation wreaked by the wildfires in California,” states “We are gratified to be able to assist cancer patients affected by these terrible fires. With our California Wildfires Patient Assistance Program, we can offer specialized practical and emotional support to those coping with both a cancer diagnosis and the distress caused by a natural disaster.”
This new “California Wildfires Patient Assistance Program” is supported and backed by the following organizations.
- “ US Department of Health and Human Services”
- “American Cancer Society”
- “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society”
- “UnitedHealthcare”
- “American Society of Clinical Oncology”
- “Partners HealthCare”
- “Association of Community Cancer Centers”
- “American Society for Radiation Oncology”
- “Direct Relief, Florida Blue”
- “Migrant Clinicians Network”
- “Oncology Nursing Society”
- “Florida Society of Clinical Oncology”
- “Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School”
- “Medical Oncology Association of Southern California”
- “Moffitt Cancer Center”
- “National Cancer Institute”
- “Elderly Transportation Service”