An Important Part of Your Cancer Care Treatment Plan

At our Cancer Care Program, we know that cancer challenges not only the body, but also the mind and spirit. That's why we partner with you during each stage of your care process-from diagnosis through treatment, and beyond-to provide you with excellent, comprehensive, integrated care.

• Psychosocial Care During Cancer Treatment
• Role of the Medical Social Worker
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Contact Information

Psychosocial Care During Cancer Treatment

What affects a person physically, also affects them emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, sexually and socially. Receiving a cancer diagnosis can also impact an individual's sense of self or identity. At PAMF, your entire care team recognizes that a diagnosis of cancer may feel overwhelming and be far-reaching. Therefore, along with your physician and nurses, we have highly trained medical/clinical social workers available to help with the emotional and psychological needs of patients, their caregivers and loved ones, during this challenging time.

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Role of the Medical Social Worker

Professionally trained medical/clinical social workers have earned their master's degree in social work (MSW) and specialize in applying clinical, advocacy and community-based skills to enhance the life experience of the individual, couple and/or family.

PAMF's Medical Social Workers:

• Listen with compassion
  
• Focus on identifying, building or enhancing the existing strengths of the cancer patient/survivor
  
• Provide support to the patient/survivor and his or her caregivers
  
• Identify and help arrange community resources, and work with doctors and other individuals to obtain necessary referrals
  
• Refer patients, survivors and caregivers to support groups
  
• Assist in crisis intervention, if and when needed, with solution-focused sessions
  
• Discuss the emotional challenges of dealing with a potentially life-limiting illness, and when indicated, make referrals to local mental health professionals
  
• Help patients/survivors create a "road map" with tangible tasks so that the individual with cancer can learn to live with a chronic illness rather than be defined by it
  
• Help patients/survivors examine their lifestyle choices and determine if their actions support good health
  
• Discuss Advance Health Care Directives, a document that:
  
  • names an individual who will be their Medical Power of Attorney (or proxy) who will help make or implement the patient's medical decisions; and
    
  • states which medical treatments and procedures the individual would or would not want implemented if a health crisis occurs
  
  
• Work with other health care team members to file a mandated report with Adult Protective Services if allegations of abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult arise

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I contact PAMF's medical social worker?

A. Tell your doctor, nurse practitioner or nurse that you would like to contact the medical social worker. You can also call PAMF's Oncology Department, at
650-853-2905 (Palo Alto) or 650-934-7600 (Mountain View).

Q. Is there a fee to access medical social work services?

A. No, there are no charges to you or your health insurer for the services provided by PAMF's medical social worker.

Q. Where can I find out more information about my PAMF cancer care team?

A. On this Web site you can find out much about your cancer care team. Here, you will be able to view photos and biographies of the members of your cancer care team, including oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, nurses, dieticians, nurse navigators/educators and financial counselors.
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Contact Information

Coleen Travers, ACSW, MSW
PAMF Cancer Care Services
Palo Alto Center
795 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: 650- 853-2905
Traversc1@pamf.org

Meg Cornish, LCSW
PAMF Cancer Care Services
Mountain View Center
701 E. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
Phone: 650-934-7000
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