Sharsheret Survivorship Program Continues to Thrive

Sharsheret Survivorship Program Continues to Thrive

“I was thrilled to receive your breast cancer survivor kit. It literally made my day. The cookbook is fantastic, and the information provided will definitely help me during my survivorship journey. I keep my kit in the great tote bag and refer to it often. It is usually the first thing I look at if a question occurs to me. You all do wonderful work and this was so supportive to me. I will share it with other survivors as well as those beginning their journey.”
– Joanne, Baton Rouge, LA

In September 2011, Sharsheret received a three-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a comprehensive survivorship program for young Jewish breast cancer survivors like Joanne.  Three years later, after distributing more than 1,300 survivorship kits, conducting nearly 750 care plan navigation sessions, and hosting 5 national teleconferences, Sharsheret’s survivorship program, Thriving Again, is doing just that – thriving.

Throughout the process of developing and implementing Thriving Again, Sharsheret conducted a series of evaluations on the needs and concerns of young Jewish breast cancer survivors. Sharsheret clinicians engaged in a comprehensive review of the literature regarding young adult cancer survivors and relevant support programs, surveyed more than 1,400 young breast cancer survivors to better understand their unique and unmet needs, and conducted four national focus groups of breast cancer survivors to collect feedback and identify priority concerns. Sharsheret presented this program development model and findings from the Thriving Again program at healthcare conferences across the country, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Business Meeting and the Academy of Oncology Nurse Navigators Annual Conference, where Sharsheret was presented with an award for our poster presentation in the “Original Research on Survivorship Programs” category. Through sharing our program model and data, Sharsheret advances survivorship care for all groups, and informs the development of new programs for survivors of breast and other cancers.

Looking toward the future, Sharsheret now offers consulting services and co-branding opportunities for healthcare professionals and those at medical centers nationwide who wish to develop similar culturally-relevant support programs for cancer survivors, and continues to provide survivorship kits and navigation services for the women of Sharsheret, like Joanne, who seek survivorship information and support.  

To learn more about Sharsheret’s consulting and co-branding services, contact Support Program Coordinator Sharon Stahl, LMSW or call 866.474.2774.

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