Press Release
2023-01-24
CancerCare® Partners With the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) To Launch a New Helpline for Those Affected by Bladder Cancer
The service aims to address the emotional, practical and informational needs of patients, families, caregivers and the bereaved.
CancerCare and the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) announced a joint venture to launch the first-ever helpline dedicated to bladder cancer patients, their families, caregivers and those who have lost loved ones to the disease. CancerCare is the leading national organization dedicated to providing free, professional support services to anyone affected by cancer. Joining forces with BCAN, CancerCare will provide a helpline staff of professional oncology social workers with specific expertise on issues affecting bladder cancer patients and their families. In addition, the helpline will be managed by CancerCare’s Associate Vice President of Patient Assistance Programs Vilmarie Rodriguez. It will address the emotional, practical and informational needs of the bladder cancer community.
CancerCare has provided free support services to cancer patients of all diagnoses for 79 years. Their services offer free emotional and practical support for people with cancer, caregivers, loved ones and the bereaved. The collaborative bladder cancer helpline will serve as an extension to BCAN’s existing support services to the bladder cancer community. Services offered through the new helpline include:
- Education to clients about CancerCare services: emotional support, financial assistance, publications, resources, resource navigation services and referrals and/or Connect Education Workshops (CEWs);
- Assessing clients’ responses and reactions to their bladder cancer experience;
- Evaluating the need for psychosocial support through use of assessment tools as it relates to CancerCare’s individual counseling and support groups;
- Referrals to BCAN as needed for their Survivor 2 Survivor support and other relevant programs;
- Assistance in applying for CancerCare’s financial assistance programs when eligible;
- Referrals to BCAN for all of their Bladder Cancer specific programming and resources for patients and caregivers
"Having this resource will be a tremendous help to bladder cancer patients, caregivers, family members and those who have lost someone to the disease," said Andrea Maddox-Smith, CEO of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. "Patients and loved ones need this crucial support to face bladder cancer."
"We’re thrilled with CancerCare’s newest partnership with BCAN to provide such a critical resource for individuals affected by bladder cancer," said Vilmarie Rodriguez. "Together, we know our social workers will be able to connect individuals in the bladder cancer community to CancerCare and BCAN’s comprehensive support services."
The helpline is officially set to launch on January 9, 2023 and will be free to access Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Callers can reach the helpline at 833-ASK-4BCA or 833-275-4222. For more information about CancerCare or BCAN, visit www.cancercare.org or www.bcan.org.
About CancerCare®
Founded in 1944, CancerCare is the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer. Our comprehensive services include resource navigation, counseling and support groups over the phone, online and in-person, educational workshops, publications and financial and co-payment assistance. All CancerCare services are provided by master’s-prepared oncology social workers and world-leading cancer experts.
About the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network
The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) is a community of patients, caregivers, survivors, advocates, medical and research professionals united in support of people impacted by bladder cancer. BCAN was founded in 2005 and is the only national advocacy organization devoted to advancing bladder cancer research and supporting those impacted by the disease. To learn more about BCAN, please visit www.bcan.org.