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Stillwaters Cancer Support Services and Cancer Support Community Greater Milwaukee Plan to Combine Their Efforts to Better Serve Patients
Waukesha, WI, November 30, 2012 – Stillwaters Cancer Support Services and Cancer Support Community Greater Milwaukee, the area’s two leading providers of support services for people living with cancer, announced today that they plan to combine their efforts.
Effective Jan. 1, 2013, Stillwaters will expand its services to cancer patients and their families by assuming responsibility for key programs now offered by Cancer Support Community Greater Milwaukee.
“The missions of our two organizations are similar, both of us focusing on providing free psychosocial and emotional support to those effected by any type of cancer,” said Theresa Reagan, executive director of Stillwaters. “After thoughtful discussions, we decided that the community would be best served through a single organization.”
Cancer Support Community Greater Milwaukee, formerly Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin, has undergone significant changes in recent years. Originally established in Shorewood, the organization more recently has offered its programs at area health care organizations and the Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay. Its most popular programs are The Wellness Group, a professionally facilitated support group for those who are recently diagnosed or are in treatment for cancer, and Cancer Transitions, an evidence-based six-week program for cancer survivors that is held in conjunction with area health care systems. Created in partnership with the LiveStrong organization, the program provides information, skills and tools that are useful to cancer survivors in the transitional period after treatment ends.
Stillwaters will take over these two programs as of Jan. 1. Stillwaters also will offer its professional counseling services to individuals and families formerly served by the Cancer Support Community. Other programs offered by the Cancer Support Community will be discontinued.
“By offering services through a single organization, we will reduce redundancies and make optimal use of the funds we receive from individuals, foundations and corporations,” Reagan said. “We plan to send a very clear message to the stakeholders of both organizations – that no one who is struggling with a cancer diagnosis needs to do so alone.”
Ann Homstad, board president of Cancer Support Community Greater Milwaukee, said “This is a natural transition for these programs. As an organization, we have worked alongside Stillwaters to bring psychosocial and emotional support to the cancer forefront. I am so pleased that this work will continue under one roof.”
Stillwaters Cancer Support Services provides free professional psychosocial counseling, support groups and workshops for cancer patients, families and caregivers. Since 1994, Stillwaters has helped thousands of individuals and families in southeastern Wisconsin cope with the emotional turmoil that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
Stillwaters Cancer Support Services receives grant to improve psychosocial support for cancer patients
Coleman Foundation gift will replicate a successful partnership with ProHealth Care’s Waukesha Memorial Hospital
Waukesha, WI, November 30, 2012 — Stillwaters Cancer Support Services announced today that it has received a $74,000 grant from the Chicago-based Coleman Foundation to reduce emotional distress for cancer patients and their families through the establishment of a new partnership with a Milwaukee area health system.
The new project will be modeled after a successful partnership with the Regional Cancer Center at ProHealth Care’s Waukesha Memorial Hospital, where Stillwaters provides free psychosocial counseling and emotional support on site. The Coleman grant will allow Stillwaters to launch a similar effort at another Milwaukee area hospital.
The counseling complements medical care by providing social and emotional support that enables patients, family members and caregivers to cope with the stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, family concerns and grief that arise with a cancer diagnosis.
“This generous gift from the Coleman Foundation highlights the significant impact a partnership between a health system and a community-based organization can make in serving patients and families who are struggling with cancer,” said Theresa Reagan, executive director of Stillwaters. “We are thrilled to be able to expand our services through such a meaningful collaboration.”
The Coleman Foundation grant will be supplemented by Stillwaters and a $10,000 grant from the partner health system. Under the partnership, the partner health system will fully fund the project for a minimum of one year after the expiration of the Coleman grant, resulting in a minimum two-year partnership.
Discussions with interested health systems are already under way. Stillwaters plans to decide on the partner hospital by Dec. 15 and begin the project by Feb. 1, 2013.
Stillwaters Cancer Support Services is the only organization in Wisconsin that provides free professional psychosocial counseling, support groups and workshops for cancer patients, families and caregivers. Since 1994, Stillwaters has helped thousands of individuals and families in southeastern Wisconsin face cancer head on and cope with the emotional turmoil that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
Replicating the successful program at Waukesha Memorial will mean:
- Patients and family members more readily adjust to a cancer diagnosis because of easily accessible psychosocial and emotional support.
- Patients are able to become active partners in their medical treatment because of their enhanced ability to cope with their diagnosis.
- Patients and family members feel supported in their cancer journey and are better able to maintain their quality of life.
- Patients find comfort in knowing that their sessions with an independent Stillwaters counselor will not result in a mental health diagnosis and will not inhibit their medical treatment in any way.
Established in 1951, the Coleman Foundation focuses on supporting cancer services, entrepreneurship education and services for people with developmental disabilities.
Anyone interested in learning more about Stillwaters Cancer Support Services can visit www.stillwaterscenter.org, or call 262-548-9148.
