What We Do

Dominican Cancer Care activities

• Participate in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life with fund raising team and educational booth. Worked with oncology offices to invite cancer survivors. Oncology nurses answered questions, handed out free items (including, sunscreen and lip balm) and offered nutritional and skin cancer prevention information.
• In partnership with the American Cancer Society, assisted with organizing Santa Cruz County’s first “Cancer Survivor’s Birthday Celebration.”
• During the 2010 annual Dominican Hospital Foundation’s Employee Giving Campaign, the oncology staff pooled their donations together and created a new fund. The Oncology Patient Financial Assistance Fund will be used to aid uninsured, underinsured, indigent and homeless cancer patients.
• Participated in several community health fairs, including local community and private business fairs, Physician’s Medical Group skin cancer screening, local surf contest events, breast and skin cancer awareness events and women’s health fairs.
• Provide professionally facilitated support groups for individuals and families, including breast, general, lymphedema, ovarian and prostate cancer. Also provided an art therapy class and Kids Konnected (a support group for kids who have a loved one with cancer). Other supportive care programs included:
            Chemo 101: facilitated by oncology certified nurses. This class helps patients and families understand and cope with changes during cancer treatment.
            Eating Well Though Cancer: guidance for patients and families discussing nutritional issues during and after cancer treatment.
            Cancer Fighting Kitchen: in partnership with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society WomenCare and Healing Journeys, a one day nutritional seminar discussing ways to improve one’s diet.
            Gentle Yoga Before During and After Cancer Treatments: a class to help relax and improve an overall sense of well being.
            In partnership with the American Cancer society, a monthly Look Good, Feel Better program offered to women who are undergoing cancer treatment to look and feel their best.
• Offer an annual Prostate Cancer Forum presented during the month of September to promote prostate cancer awareness.
• Provide the Fireside Chat Series: a series of monthly forums offered to the public where guest experts lead discussions about the complex issues surrounding cancer.
• Offer a Meet the Expert Series with oncology physicians to discuss advances in oncology care and treatment. Lectures are open to physicians, nurses and allied medical professionals only.
• Offer the services of The Katz Cancer Resource Center: individualized guidance with oncology nurses, patient navigation program, direction and support for caregivers, assistance with locating community resources, wig consultation and head coverings at no cost, community education and outreach programs.
• In collaboration with Dominican Hospital’s Breast Center and Women Helping Women program, provide mammograms at low cost to women who are underinsured or have no insurance.
• Provide medical education presentations given by oncologists, surgeons and radiation oncologists on the subject of emerging therapies in oncology treatment to Santa Cruz and Monterey physicians.
• Offer study groups to oncology nurses to prepare for oncology national certification and to advance individual practice and knowledge of oncology nursing.
• Chemotherapy classes are offered to all nurses wanting to be certified in chemotherapy administration. This class is offered to any oncology nurse who wants to maintain their skill level and advance their knowledge of administration. Dominican Hospitals has an Oncology Nursing Society Certified Chemotherapy Nurse educator who teaches classes twice a year.