Wellness Community News
Open to Options
Do you have a blood cancer? We offer support...
The Wellness Community now offers a consultation planning service, Open to Options, to help you prepare for your upcoming oncology visit. This service is available at no cost to any person diagnosed with a new or recurrent blood cancer (lymphoma, leukemia,multiple myeloma). More information is avaliable in this PDF.
The goals of this program are to help you:
- communicate clearly with your medical team
- ask critical questions about your options
- ensure that your treatment decisions fit your personal hopes and goals
Contact Margaret Stauffer at 925.933.0107 by email to schedule an appointment.
As another component of the Open to Options program, The Wellness Community is also pleased to announce a new web-based training course for primary care providers. The training, titled “Why Cancer Clinical Trials are Important for My Practice”, is a 1-hour online workshop, designed to reach medical professionals who have direct contact with patients.
To learn more click here.
Cancer Care for the Whole Patient
Last fall, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report: Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs. In this report, the IOM states that "A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems created or exacerbated by cancer (e.g., depression, other emotional problems, or a lack of information or skills needed to manage illness) can be effectively addressed by a number of services and interventions."
However, the report notes that, "Cancer care today often provides state-of-the-science biomedical treatment, but fails to address the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems associated with the illness." In the report, IOM recommends that "All patients with cancer and their families should expect and receive cancer care that ensures the provision of appropriate psychosocial health services."
The Wellness Community is listed as a resource in the IOM Report. We are dedicated to meeting the psychosocial needs of people with cancer and their families. While the medical profession treats the physical aspects of cancer, we help people learn techniques to cope with the emotional impact of cancer. As the IOM Report makes clear, our programs are not an alternative to medical treatment, but a valued part of the healthcare continuum for people with cancer and their loved ones.
