French Hospital Medical Center’s Heart Cancer Resource Center (HCRC) invites community members to celebrate 10 years of providing education, free programs, support services, and a sense of extended family to cancer patients and their families.
The anniversary celebration will be held on Thursday, May 24 from 4:00 to 6:00p.m. in the Copeland Health Education Pavilion Auditorium, located on the French Hospital Medical Center campus at 1911 Johnson Avenue, San Luis Obispo. The event will include featured guest speakers, light complimentary hors d’oeuvres, champagne and refreshments, an interactive art installation, and commemorative t-shirts for guests.
The HCRC is dedicated to serving cancer patients and their families: ranging from those newly diagnosed with cancer, those in treatment, recovery, and beyond.
The center offers an array of free wellness and support services, creating a conduit between standard medical care and a full range of healing therapies. Since its inception in April of 2008, the HCRC has served more than 81,500 cancer patients and/or family members. The integrative approach of the HCRC offers a foundation for care that includes programs designed to strengthen the body, educate the mind, and alleviate the stress often accompanied with a cancer diagnosis.
“Over the last decade, we have witnessed the evolution of the Hearst Cancer Resource Center, and we are couldn’t be more proud to be celebrating the many milestones of this incredible community asset,” says French Hospital Medical Center President & CEO Alan Iftiniuk. “Our unique center has touched so many affected by cancer, and we are excited to celebrate with the many individuals that have supported, utilized, and managed the center.”
In addition to the support services offered by the HCRC at no charge, the unique nurse navigator program provides a highly skilled, specially trained nurse to assist each patient with determining the most appropriate screenings and treatment options. Both the Oncology Nurse Navigator and Bilingual Lay Patient Navigator provide education about each diagnosis and can connect patients with valuable resources in the community, coordinate between patients and their health care team, and inform patients of financial counseling, clinical trials, and genetic counseling.
The HCRC was made possible by generous gifts from members of the Hearst Family, Hearst Foundation, and other donors. These donations allow all cancer patients and families use of this unique center and its resources free of charge. The HCRC integrates many community cancer organizations under one roof with the expertise of oncology professionals on staff.
About French Hospital Medical Center
French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, California, has been named one of the Nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics. French is also a recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award and has been in the Top 5% in the Nation for Patient Safety for four consecutive years. French Hospital’s Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center provides the latest innovative cardiac and imaging technology and French is the only hospital in SLO County designated to treat STEMI heart attacks. The facility has achieved prestigious designation as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission for advanced, comprehensive care for stroke patients. The hospital is home to the first-of-its-kind Copeland Health Education Pavilion, providing the most advanced health care research facilities and educational resources to the community. The Stollmeyer Birthing Center is being expanded and modernized to include additional private birthing rooms, a new family waiting area, an upgraded nursing station, and a new C-section suite. French Hospital’s Hearst Cancer Resource Center offers free education, resources, and support to cancer patients and their families. French is a Dignity Health Central Coast hospital which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA, St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, CA and St. John’s Pleasant Valley in Camarillo, CA. Dignity Health Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service. Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities. To learn more, visit http://www.dignityhealth.org/frenchhospital/