Program coordinator Nashalys Salamanca describes a peer-to-peer support program called Woman to Woman intended for newly diagnosed patients with gynecologic cancers.
Winship Cancer Institute has launched a new peer-to-peer support program called Woman to Woman, which allows patients who are newly diagnosed with gynecologic cancers to receive one-on-one emotional support and mentoring from trained survivor-volunteers. Winship encourages all interested survivors to complete the online mentoring application.
Woman to Woman is an initiative of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. It allows for recently diagnosed patients to meet with volunteers who listen, discuss concerns, and provide support during diagnosis, treatment, and post-treatment. Mentors in the program are carefully matched with patients based on cancer type and patient preferences, such as: age, language and culture, and other relevant factors.
Mentors undergo special training to learn active listening and communication skills as well as how to address personal differences. Additionally, mentors are given an overview of gynecologic cancers and issues associated with them.
The purpose of this program, which is available at all Winship locations, is for survivor-mentors to give hope along with the special insights that can only come from someone who has also had first-hand experience. At present, there is a high need for uterine and ovarian cancer survivor-volunteers.
