The Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara has awarded a $25,000 grant to Hospice of Santa Barbara to support its Patient Care Services (PCS) program, which offers comprehensive, free support services to those with life-threatening illnesses, including 250-300 cancer patients annually.
The Cancer Foundation’s grant will help the community program by financially supporting a full-time care manager.
Care managers lead Hospice of Santa Barbara’s PCS team and coordinate with medical teams and other partners to help patients and their families better manage their illness, treatment, and non-medical needs.
Care managers act as an extension of a medical care team by providing the following services:
• Medical care management
• Transportation to appointments
• Community services coordination
• Volunteer support
• Connection to nutrition programs
• Advance care planning
• Mental health counseling
• Quality of life grants
• Spiritual care
These services help address the significant emotional, financial, and logistical challenges that come with a life-threatening illness like cancer.
Care managers also reduce the burden of service for primary healthcare providers by coordinating with each patient’s care team. For example, they work closely with patient navigators at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center to help patients get to appointments on time, receive entitlements, have access to translation services, coordinate medications among doctors, and receive counseling.
This coordination reduces service duplication and ensures that no aspect of care falls through the cracks.
“Programs like Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Patient Care Services are essential to our community because they ensure that patients and their families receive comprehensive care throughout their cancer journey,” said Lori Willis, Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara executive director.
“By financially supporting these programs, the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara adheres to its mission of ensuring superior cancer care for all residents of Santa Barbara County,” Willis said.
For more about Hospice of Santa Barbara, visit, www.hospiceofsb.org/. Learn more about the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara at www.cfsb.org.