Finding a cure now...so our daughters won't have to.

Posts Tagged ‘resources’

KAMMCares: Grants for Non Medical Expenses

Posted By on August 15th, 2011 at 8:56 am | 2 comments.

KAMMCares is a California-based national organization dedicated to helping anyone going through treatment for breast cancer. KAMMCares places funds directly in the hands of patients. The money can be used for child care costs, groceries, and any other day-to-day expenses. To apply, you must currently be in treatment for breast cancer, and provide a description of yourself, your life and interests, and a recent photo.

The complete application process can be found at the KAMMCares website. KAMMCares also requires a letter from your doctor outlining information about the type of treatment you are receiving and the length of time you have been in treatment. The organization requires that this information be provided on your doctor’s letterhead and signed by hand in ink by the doctor. KAMMCares will not accept photocopies or faxes.

More information about KAMMCares and the application process is here.

Representative Todd Stephens Hosts Fox Chase Cancer Center MammoVan

Posted By on August 15th, 2011 at 8:53 am | 0 comments.

Representative Todd Stephens and Fox Chase Cancer Center are joining forces to save lives by bringing the ‘MammoVan’ – a mobile mammography van – to Rep. Stephens’ District Office in North Wales on August 19. Women 40 and older in need of an annual mammogram can call Rep. Stephens’ office at 215-368-5165 to schedule an appointment.

Rest assured that your medical and personal information will NOT be shared with Representative Stephens’ office – calls to the office are for scheduling purposes only. Those who wish to receive a mammogram through this program must meet certain requirements which include the following:

  • Must be at least 40 years old
  • Must provide name and address of one of your doctors
  • Must have prescription from your doctor
  • Must not be breastfeeding or have breastfed within the past nine months
  • Must not have had a breast cancer diagnosis or be under treatment for breast cancer
  • Must not have had a mammogram within the past 12 months
  • Must be able to board the van on your own and stand alone for the screening
Please note that appointments are required for this important screening, so please be sure to call 215-368-5165 to schedule ASAP.

PBCC Patient Advocacy

Posted By on July 15th, 2011 at 8:56 am | 0 comments.

Diana reached the maximum coverage limit through her insurance before she had won her battle with breast cancer.  Despite an earlier denial of free treatment/Medicaid through PA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Treatment Program because she had sufficient health insurance at the time, the PBCC encouraged her to apply again. She was approved for the program due to her “underinsured” status, and received coverage for her medical needs.

The PBCC advocates for all women and their families across PA. Our legislative victories have created changes that provide mammograms for uninsured women, insurance coverage for reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, free treatment for breast cancer for uninsured and underinsured women, and funding for PA researchers working to find a cure. We are also here to advocate for women who might otherwise fall through the cracks in the health care system, who don’t know about available resources or how to access them.

Every day we hear from women who need guidance about how to navigate their way through an overwhelming maze of obstacles to medical care. Whenever we pick up the phone we know the caller might be a woman whose insurance company doesn’t want to cover the procedure that her doctor wants her to have. Or maybe her job is in jeopardy if she has to take time off from work for treatment. Or she has no health insurance and doesn’t know there are programs for which she might qualify.

Some days we are providing information about national, state, or local agencies that will provide the service she needs. Often we are explaining a complicated program in a way that makes it seem less confusing. Always, we can be a reassuring voice providing a personal touch in a world of voice mail and computer-generated phone responses.

If you or someone you know is facing an obstacle to their care that the PBCC may be able to help you overcome, please contact our Patient Advocate, Dolores Magro at Dolores@PABreastCancer.org.

On the FrontLine: Summer 2011

Posted By on June 20th, 2011 at 1:46 pm | 0 comments.

Check out the Summer 2011 edition of our print newsletter, FrontLine!

Patient Resource: OncoLink.org

Posted By on June 15th, 2011 at 9:00 am | 0 comments.

Get accurate comprehensive online information about cancer at www.oncolink.org. The site is updated daily to offer the most up-to-date cancer treatment information and resources for patients and families. Read book reviews, participate in monthly webchats, or find a clinical trial. Nurses can access continuing education modules on a variety of cancer-related topics.

You might also like to react to and comment on cancer news on OncoLink’s blog, and each section features a selection from the OncoLink Art Gallery.

OncoLink is a service provided by the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

Get Twice as Much Out of the Conference When You Bring a Friend

Posted By on June 15th, 2011 at 9:00 am | 0 comments.

Make your PBCC Annual Conference experience twice as nice by taking advantage of our Bring a Friend Conference Registration discount. Buddy up and sign up for the October 11, 2011 conference, which will feature workshops on topics to challenge your mind and your soul – topics ranging from surgical options for breast cancer to the healing power of forgiveness.

Early bird Bring a Friend Registration for the conference is $100, which covers the cost of two conference registrations. Register as a pair and treat a friend, sister, daughter, mother, or colleague to an inspiring day devoted to breast cancer issues. Individual early bird registrations are $65 each.

Confirmed workshop topics and presenters include:

Free Treatment: The Ins and Outs of PA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program presented by Joe Burkhart, PA Department of Health and Jane Marsteller, PA Department of Public Welfare

Inflammatory Breast Cancer presented by Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., Fox Chase Cancer Center

Release! The Healing Power of Forgiveness presented by Rev. Dr. Michael Barry, Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Living Well During and After Breast Cancer: Stress Reduction and a Healthy Lifestyle presented by Aimée E. Todd-Pillman, PsyD, The Reading Hospital Regional Cancer Center and Amy Burke, Windber Medical Center

The Basics of Chemotherapy presented by Kathryn A. Peroutka, M.D., Andrews & Patel Associates, PC

The Latest In Breast Cancer Research and Clinical Trials presented by Priya Rastogi, M.D., NSABP

Breast Imaging 101 presented by Alison Chetlen, D.O., Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Does The Food We Eat Have an Impact on Our Health After Surviving Breast Cancer? presented by Dawn Palacios, R.D., LDN, Good Samaritan Hospital

Surgical Treatment Options for Breast Cancer: Which Way is the Pendulum Swinging Now? presented by Sun Yong Lee, M.D., FACS, Jefferson Breast Care Center

Many more workshops will be announced in the coming weeks, so please check the conference website for more details!

Chemo Brain is Real

Posted By on June 15th, 2011 at 9:00 am | 0 comments.

Written by Barbara Good, Ph.D.

For years, women in cancer support groups and those discussing their treatment with sympathetic friends or relatives have referred to a syndrome they call “chemo brain,” the somewhat amusing-sounding but all too real experience of many who undergo chemotherapy in the course of cancer treatment. At times complaints from cancer patients about forgetfulness, lack of coordination, or the inability to find certain words during speech have been looked at by some in the medical profession as a result of the stress of cancer treatment, or fatigue, or both.

A recent study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle now lends credence to the idea that the symptoms cancer patients describe appear, in fact, to come at least in part from cancer treatment and that they may last for periods up to five years or more. The patients examined had undergone chemotherapy as part of bone marrow or stem cell transplants to treat blood cancers, but the researchers believe their findings to be applicable to breast cancer patients and to those who have undergone chemotherapy for other types of cancer. Verbal memory and motor problems lasted longer than five years in some of the patients examined, but information processing, multitasking, and executive function tasks seemed to be regained within five years.

President’s Corner: Survivor Care Packages Back By Popular Demand

Posted By on May 16th, 2011 at 1:00 pm | 0 comments.

The PBCC is thrilled to announce that FREE Friends Like Me Survivor Care Packages are back for a limited time! These care packages – intended for survivors of 6+ months – include informational materials as well as feel-good items to celebrate breast cancer survivorship. Request a Survivor Care package for you or a loved one using our online form. A limited number are available.

To be eligible to receive a FREE Friends Like Me Survivor Care Package, the recipient may not have received a PA Breast Cancer Coalition Friends Like Me Care Package or a Survivor Care Package in the past. (No need to worry, the PBCC will verify that information.)

The survivor must live in Pennsylvania and have been diagnosed prior to November 9, 2010. If the recipient was diagnosed after November 16, 2010, please request one of our Friends Like Me Care Packages designed specifically for the needs of a newly-diagnosed woman. Our Friends Like Me Care Packages are available throughout the year at no cost to the sender or the recipient of the package.

Photo Exhibit Opening Tonight in Huntingdon, PA

Posted By on May 12th, 2011 at 8:14 am | 0 comments.

York County Photo Exhibit OpeningThe PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) is pleased to work with the Huntingdon County Exhibit Committee and J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital to bring its traveling photo exhibit 67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania, to Huntingdon County from May 12th through May 22nd.  The photo exhibit will be displayed in the Main Lobby of the J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital located at 1225 Warm Springs Avenue in Huntingdon.

An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, May 12th at 5 p.m. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. The pink van and PBCC staff will be on hand to kick-off the 110th showing of the photo exhibit. This will be our first visit to Huntingdon County!

This work of art features women from each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, along with a message about how breast cancer has touched their lives.  The women reflect the diversity of Pennsylvania, and their stories reflect the impact of breast cancer on themselves, their families and their communities.  The exhibit encourages women to learn about early detection and celebrates life, courage, hope and dignity of women and families who have battled breast cancer.  67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania is sponsored by the PBCC and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Pat Halpin-Murphy, President and Founder of the PBCC, encourages everyone to visit the exhibit.  “Breast cancer is not a rare event separate from the fabrics of our everyday lives.  It impacts our mothers, daughters and friends.  We must educate ourselves about this disease and fight to find a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to.”

“The Alliance for Breast Care (ABC) at J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital is honored to host the 67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania exhibit,” said Dr. Maria Pettinger, Medical Director of Radiology at J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital. “This opportunity is limited to a few locations in the Commonwealth each year. We want to encourage not only the residents of Huntingdon County to take advantage of this inspirational exhibit, but also the people from the surrounding counties to experience the strength and courage of those who have faced breast cancer.”

 

Need Help Getting Health Insurance or Services? Call PA Health Law Project

Posted By on April 15th, 2011 at 9:05 am | 0 comments.

The PA Health Law Project is a statewide center devoted to helping low income, elderly, and disabled Pennsylvanians access quality health care. If you are having trouble applying for Medical Assistance (MA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or if there are no health care providers in your health plan who can meet your needs, contact the PA Health Law Project to learn how they can assist you.

PHLP’s team of 8 attorneys, 3 paralegals, a physician and a social worker help thousands of people each year. They answer questions, provide advice, negotiate agreements, and represent clients at administrative hearings and in court. PHLP services are free to qualified individuals.

The PA Health Law Project has participated in the PBCC’s seminars about the Commonwealth of PA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment program (BCCPT) across the state and at our annual conferences. Their expertise about accessing quality health care is invaluable.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact the PA Health Law Project helpline at 1-800-274-3258 or visit www.phlp.org.