communication as cancer medicine

“What does this mean? How is my life going to change? How will we cope?”

Many things accompany a diagnosis of cancer. But for most people, the most overwhelming part of the diagnosis are the myriad questions that immediately come to mind and the communication challenge of finding answers to them.

The urgency of answering these questions is not limited to the patient, their families or their survivors. Each new cancer diagnosis in a community places an immediate and often longterm burden upon the network of caregivers who are there to help.

“What services are in demand right now? Does my sta have the appropriate training? How do we best respond to the needs of our community?”

In other words, often the first thing that is needed is a communication network that interconnects cancer patients, families, professionals and survivors.

Fortunately, for the people of Ocala, The Villages and the communities in between, there is the Cancer Alliance of Marion County (CAMC).

The CAMC is an organization that, in addition to o ering guidance on cancer screening and prevention, helps patients, their families and professional caregivers find free, faster answers to many of the most pressing questions of a cancer diagnosis.

For patients and caregivers (“community members,” as noted on the website), the CAMC’s services are encapsulated into a monthly, information-dense newsletter. This newsletter is designed to keep people aware of community resources, such as classes, treatment sources and other news of interest to families facing the ordeal of cancer.

When one joins (membership is free) the CAMC, they are also asked if they would be interested in volunteering, fundraising or speaking to others facing similar challenges, providing many opportunities for people to participate in the local community of caring.

For people who work directly or indirectly with those facing cancer, there is a separate option to join as a professional member (also free). For this audience, the CAMC works to create networking opportunities and other solutions for helping local cancer-care professionals learn from each other. Members will also receive a professional newsletter with content specifically tailored for them.

Both community and professional members can sign up for their free accounts by visiting the CAMC homepage at CancerAllianceMC.org. To learn more about the organization outside of the scope of membership, reach out to Amy Roberts, a licensed clinical social worker who oversees the CAMC’s site, at (352) 732-0277