CLINTON, IA – September 2018 –Gilda’s Club continues to offer an ongoing monthly Cancer Support Group on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at Zion Lutheran Church. To better accommodate the needs of the community, we have adjusted the meeting time to 6:30-8:00 pm starting on Sept. 11, 2018.
Additionally, Gilda’s Club Quad Cities would like to welcome our new group facilitator Lindsey Allbee-Reid, MSW. Allbee-Reid graduated with her BA from Ashford University where she also played volleyball. While in the Clinton area, she worked at the YWCA serving in a variety of program capacities such as the before and after school program, and she also coached volleyball within the Fulton community. Allbee-Reid currently holds her MSW degree from the University of Iowa and is excited to welcome in and to meet new support group members in our monthly Clinton Cancer Support Group. This free support group is for adults with any type of cancer diagnosis, caregivers, family and friends of those with a diagnosis where members share thoughts, feelings and experiences.
In order to meet the growing needs of cancer patients and their families, Gilda’s Club continues to work collaboratively with Mercy Medical Center and other community organizations to provide its evidenced-based cancer support programs closer to those living outside of the metro Quad Cities. Gilda’s Club Program Manager, Anita Shaft, LMSW, meets with patients on Tuesday mornings at the Mercy Radiation Oncology Center.
Patient centered services provided by Gilda’s Club include distress screening, treatment decision support, educational workshops, support groups, healthy lifestyle programs, and access to research studies being conducted by the Cancer Support Community Research and Training Institute.
According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, Clinton County has a higher than average rate of cancer incidence in the United States; and a higher than average incidence in Iowa for breast, cervical, colorectal, melanoma and lung cancers.
The 2017 Cancer Experience Registry, developed by the Cancer Support Community’s Research and Training Institute, tracks the social and emotional experience of cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers throughout the cancer continuum. The report finds many patients—from newly diagnosed to those that are multiple years out from a diagnosis—experience varying levels of distress related to psychological, social, and financial concerns. High levels of distress can negatively impact patient outcomes, and alleviating distress, through screening and support, is an integral component of any cancer care plan.
Based on this data, Gilda’s Club Quad Cities, Mercy Medical Center Clinton, and other community partners recognize the need for cancer support services within Clinton County.
ABOUT THE CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND GILDA’S CLUB
As the largest professionally led nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide, the Cancer Support Community (CSC), including its Gilda’s Club affiliates, is dedicated to ensuring that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. CSC achieves its mission through three areas: direct service delivery, research, and advocacy. The organization offers the highest quality social and emotional support for people impacted by cancer, as well as a community of support available online and over the phone. The Research and Training Institute conducts cutting-edge psychosocial, behavioral, and survivorship research. CSC furthers its focus on patient advocacy through its Cancer Policy Institute, informing public policy in Washington, D.C. and across the nation. For more information, please call Gilda’s Club Quad Cities at 563-326-7504 or visit www.gildasclubqc.org.
So that no one faces cancer alone®.
Anita Shaft, LMSW
Program Manager | Gilda's Club Quad Cities
1234 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA 52803
Quad Cities: (563) 326-7504 | Muscatine: (563) 263-7292 x109
anita@gildasclubqc.org | www.gildasclubqc.org
Facebook: facebook.com/GildasClubQC
Twitter: twitter.com/GildasClubQC
