CSC Welcomes New BOD Member Susan Dost

Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center is pleased to welcome Susan Dost to the CSC Board of Directors. Susan Dost is President and CEO of Sheridan In-Home Care, a private-pay health care company she formed in 2001. Ms. Dost is the sole owner of Sheridan Care and is a Certified Senior Advisor. Today Sheridan employs over 150 "A-list", California Association for Health Services at Home certified caregivers. Sheridan has been hired by more than 1,500 clients in the past 14 years and has assisted over 3000 mature adults. Ms. Dost has been credited as a dynamic and innovative health care industry leader, creating new products, internet applications and programs with national appeal. Ms. Dost has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine and the Los Angeles Business Journal. Ms. Dost and her management team at Sheridan have won numerous awards, including the coveted Dorland National Award for best home care company in the United States and the prestigious Business Excellence Award from the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Dost was also a 2012 finalist for the Los Angeles Business Journal Healthcare Leadership Award and the Community Outreach Award. Ms. Dost was a finalist for the 2012 Case in Point Platinum Leadership Award, a unique awards program that recognizes the most successful and innovative companies working to improve health care nationally. Members of Sheridan sit on The Parkinson's Association Board and the Board of the Beverly Hills Cancer Relay for Life. Sheridan Care annually donates over 100 hours of free care to various non-profit organizations. Ms. Dost is actively involved with Angel Flight, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that arranges free, non-emergency air travel for children and adults with serious medical conditions and other compelling needs. Ms. Dost is a licensed private pilot and flies her own aircraft for volunteer medical relief flights with Angel Flight West. Ms. Dost played Division One basketball and graduated with a BA from Wayne State University. We look forward to working with Susan Dost to the benefit of people with cancer and their families.

Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center (CSC) is hosting its annual Gilda Award Gala (GAG), an evening of humor & inspiration on Thursday, May 14th, 2015 at the Intercontinental in Century City, Los Angeles. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception, sponsored by the Intercontinental at 6:30PM followed by dinner, awards & entertainment. We hope you will join us! We welcome Fritz Coleman, weathercaster for NBC4 Southern California, as our evening emcee and will honor the following celebrated artists and innovators: Gilda Award Grammy Award-nominated comedian Tig Notaro, will be this year's recipient of the prestigious Gilda Award to be presented by fellow comedian and actress, Sarah Silverman.The Gilda Award is presented to a person that represents Gilda Radner's courageous spirit, one that continues to inspire cancer patients today. Gilda Radner came to CSC (then known as The Wellness Community) in 1986 during her fight against ovarian cancer. (Photo credit: Robyn Von Swank) Tig Notaro Gilda Award Recipient Sarah Silverman Gilda Award Presenter Wellness Award  YAS Fitness Centers, a Los Angeles-based company, will be this year's recipient of the Wellness Award. The fitness company is being celebrated for its positive influence on the community-at-large by promoting wellness and a culture and spirit of generosity. YAS Fitness Centers (Kimberly Fowler & Sherri Rosen) Kimberly Fowler (YAS founder) Wellness Award Recipient Sherri Rosen Wellness Award Recipient Harold H. Benjamin Innovation Award Dr. Mitch Golant will be this year's recipient of the Harold H. Benjamin Innovation Award. Dr. Golant is a national psychosocial cancer research pioneer and we celebrate his work with Dr. Benjamin (CSC's visionary founder) in elevating the role of psychosocial support worldwide. Dr. Golant's work with the CSC Research & Training Institute in Philadelphia and with CSC headquarters in Washington D.C. created a shift in the culture towards addressing patients' and families' psychosocial needs. He is a CSC Professional Advisory Board member. Dr. Mitch Golant Innovation Award Recipient EVENT DETAILS: Date: Thursday, May 14, 2015 Time: 6:30PM Cocktail Reception           7:30PM Dinner, Awards & Entertainment   Location: Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City MAP We invite you to support us by: Purchasing a ticket to the event Making a direct contribution EVENT SPONSORS: With one out of two men and one out of three women facing a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, most, if not all, are affected by cancer. CSC offers invaluable emotional and psychological support... and our services are always 100% free. For more information on ticket purchases, sponsorship opportunities, please contact Alejandra at 310-314-2565 or aoquendo@cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org Thank you for your continued support!

Out-of-Pocket Costs for Health Care Remain Top Concern for Many, Despite Advances in Reform

(Reposted with permission from the Cancer Support Community)

Out-of-Pocket Costs for Health Care Remain Top Concern for Many, Despite Advances in Reform

WASHINGTON - (Mar. 19, 2015) - A report released today by the Cancer Support Community, an international nonprofit, found that despite advances in health care reform, out-of-pocket costs for health care remain a top concern for many people living with cancer. Patients were asked in a survey and also through interviews about their experience with health care today. The survey focused on the following areas: satisfaction with insurance, access to providers (including scheduling availability, time and discussions with these providers), access to services and concerns around the direct costs of cancer and its care. The study, "An Insight Into Patient Access to Care in Cancer," found that, despite advances made in health care reform, nearly 50 percent report paying more for health care over the past 12 months, and out-of-pocket medical costs remain a top concern for many. Regardless of whether respondents indicated that they liked or did not like their health insurance, the top three concerns were out-of-pocket costs for premiums, co-insurance, and co-pays for medications. Specifically, among those who responded they did not like their coverage, 58 percent had concerns about their premiums, 67 percent had concerns about their coinsurance and 54 percent had concerns about copay costs for medications. Furthermore, two in five patients said they were seriously or very seriously concerned about potentially bankrupting their family with medical costs. Additionally, 71 percent reported not receiving social and emotional support services during their cancer experience, which could have prevented some trade-off decisions, such as skipping doses of medications or missing medical appointments. "People are making decisions like consumers in a situation where the clinical stakes and the potential suffering of patients is substantial," said John D. Sprandio, Sr., MD, a specialist in hematology and oncology in Philadelphia, Pa. "In general, health care reform is working well for some, and not as well for others. In patients for whom it is working well, there are still bumps in the road," said Kim Thiboldeaux, CEO of the Cancer Support Community. "While the Affordable Care Act has brought health care access to people with preexisting conditions, such as cancer, who were previously denied coverage, there is still work to be done to ensure high-quality, affordable care for all people with cancer." The full report and video are available online here. About the Cancer Support Community The mission of the Cancer Support Community (CSC) is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. In 2009, The Wellness Community and Gilda's Club joined forces to become the Cancer Support Community. The combined organization, with more than 50 years of collective experience, provides the highest quality social and emotional support for people impacted by cancer through a network of more than 50 licensed Affiliates, more than 120 satellite locations and vibrant online and telephone communities, touching more than one million people each year. Backed by evidence that the best cancer care includes social and emotional support, the Cancer Support Community offers these services free of charge to men, women and children with any type or stage of cancer, and to their loved ones. As the largest professionally led nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide, the Cancer Support Community delivers a comprehensive menu of personalized and essential services including support groups, educational workshops, exercise, art and nutrition classes and social activities for the entire family. Through cutting-edge psychosocial, behavioral and survivorship research, the Cancer Support Community's Research and Training Institute is helping CSC change the future of cancer care through education and training. The Cancer Support Community's Cancer Policy Institute ensures that the voices of 13.7 million cancer survivors and their families are heard in the nation's capital and state and local legislatures across the country. In 2014, the CSC network delivered nearly $46 million in free services to patients and families. The Cancer Support Community is advancing the innovations that are becoming the standard in complete cancer care. So that no one faces cancer alone®. For more information, please visit www.CancerSupportCommunity.org

Media Contact Emily Martin 202.650.5371 Emily@cancersupportcommunity.org

Are We Losing the War Against Cancer?

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An article in the NYTimes recently caught our attention. In "Why Everyone Seems to Have Cancer," author George Johnson eloquently navigates why, as the title suggests, everyone seems to be affected by cancer. Is it our medical system? Has science not kept up with the pace of mutating cells? Or are we just living longer and, having eradicated diseases that once killed earlier in life - small pox, tuberculosis and (hopefully again soon) measles - more of us are arriving on the doorstep of our body's ultimate breakdown, where missense and misprints are no longer kept in-check. 

Read the article and let us know what you think in the comments below. Any thoughts or shares are appreciated! 

Tuesdays with Morrie and the Power of the Mind-Body Connection

Staff Spotlight: Q&A with Alejandra Oquendo

Alejandra Paladino, Development Assistant at the CSC Benjamin Center

This month, we'd like to shine the spotlight on one of our very own staff members and soon-to-be mother, Alejandra Paladino! Alejandra works alongside Jen in handling all things related to development, ensuring all programming at the Benjamin Center remains free and open to all.

Hi Alejandra! Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me. How long have you been working at the Benjamin Center?

I've been working here since September of 2014 and - I actually just found out that my start date at the Center is actually my due date!

That's amazing! We are so excited for you! 

Thank you. My husband, Matt, and I (pictured left) are very excited as well.

So Alejandra, what is your typical day at the Center like and what was your motivation for getting involved? 

As a Development Assistant, I help with fundraising, processing donations, planning and coordinating events (like the upcoming Gala!) and generally just ensuring we are staying on track and meeting our deadlines.

In terms of getting involved, when I graduated, I knew I wanted to find a job that would make a difference. Helping other people with cancer spoke to me as I am also a cancer survivor. When I found the CSC Benjamin Center, I was drawn to its mission of health and wellness. The Center's mission resonated, as it is the way I try to live my life every day.

Wow, that is incredible. Do you have any opportunity to attend the programs here? Which ones are your favorite?  

I have enjoyed Reiki, Yoga and Meditation, though I wish I had more time to try some of the others! They are all so amazing.

Before we get back to your latest news - tell us something about yourself. Any favorite books that our readers should know about? 

Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom (pictured right). It's an amazing book. It's about a teacher who ends up getting diagnosed with Lou Gerigh's disease. It teaches him the importance of being present and of finding the beauty in simplicity.

When I read the book, I really took that message to heart.

There is life after cancer and I have never doubted that there was. When you are diagnosed, it is very scary, but you just have to focus on staying positive and doing the things that make you feel good. Don't dwell on what is happening or the negative. Stay positive. The mind-body connection is so powerful.

Thank you. Any parting words? 

Be sure to join us at the Gilda Award Gala, coming up on May 14th (blog post coming soon!).