Newswise — WASHINGTON (Oct. 16, 2012) – The GW Cancer Institute (GWCI) was awarded a $500,000 grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure to increase access to survivorship care for D.C.-area breast cancer survivors who have completed primary treatment. Thanks to modern medicine, more and more women and men are surviving breast cancer, and these survivors are in need of ongoing follow-up care and attention to manage the long-term physical, psychological, social, and practical effects of cancer and its treatment. GWCI works in strategic partnership with other organizations and thought leaders to improve survivorship care in the D.C. community and nationally.
“This is an exciting opportunity to improve the lives of breast cancer survivors across the D.C. area by leveraging our existing survivorship collaborations locally and nationally. We are so grateful for the support that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is providing to ensure that breast cancer survivors in the DC area access the right medical care and support as they move beyond cancer treatment into survivorship,” said Mandi Pratt-Chapman, associate director at GWCI Community Programs. “We are thrilled to be working under the leadership of Dr. Christine Teal, director of the GW Breast Care Center at the Medical Faculty Associates, as well as with our community partners - Nueva Vida and Smith Center - on this citywide effort to improve breast cancer survivor outcomes.”
With the grant, GWCI will train and educate a variety of D.C.-area health care providers on caring for breast cancer survivors; expand efforts, in partnership with the GW Medical Faculty Associates, to support patients in treatment and post-treatment through patient navigation, transportation and appointment assistance, nutrition support, and the Thriving After Cancer survivorship clinic; and empower breast cancer survivors to optimize their wellness through community education programs.
“Komen is committed to help care for the growing number of survivors that we are fortunate to have today thanks to the marvelous advancements in treatment,” said Lynn Erdman, vice president of community health for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “We are proud to help fund the work GWCI is doing to improve the quality of life for breast cancer survivors in the D.C. area and we believe their work will help other healthcare providers across the country better care for breast cancer survivors.”
For more information about survivorship programs at the GW Cancer Institute, visit: http://www.gwumc.edu/gwci/survivorship.html
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About the GW Cancer Institute GWCI takes a comprehensive approach to a complex disease. In connection with the GW Hospital and the Medical Faculty Associates, it provides for collaboration in the study, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Its mission is to provide a confluence of groundbreaking biomedical and clinical research, high quality educational programs, and outstanding patient care to the entire Metropolitan Washington area.
About the School of Medicine and Health Sciences Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation’s capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation’s capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities. www.smhs.gwumc.edu
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