Cancer Care - Education and Outreach

Education & Outreach
Our commitment to fighting cancer is perhaps most evident in the many community outreach efforts we sponsor promoting prevention and early detection. Our programs range from community-wide cancer screenings and seminars to neighborhood lectures and demonstrations.

Community Resources
Support can come from many places. Individual or group counseling or support groups can be helpful in allowing you to discuss your fears and worries and cope with the stresses your illness brings to your family.

Sarasota Memorial’s website, www.smh.com, can help you find the information you are seeking. From the latest information on cancer detection and treatment, to direct links to the country’s leading authorities on cancer – the National Cancer Institute – our website offers patients streamlined information that directs you to reliable sources of cancer information, as well as to local resources, support groups and educational programs.

Sarasota Memorial’s James F. Mullen Prostate Cancer Education Center puts men in touch with information to make educated decisions about their treatment options. Call 941-918-1981 or 1985 for information.

American Cancer Society: (941) 365-2858
A nationwide, community based organization dedicated to preventing cancer, the American Cancer Society offers up-to-date cancer information, educational programs, services and referrals, as well as the following support groups.

For more information, call the HealthLine: (941) 917-7777

I Can Cope
A series of classes that address the educational and psychological needs of people with cancer and their families. Topics include the disease, coping with daily health problems, expressing difficult feelings, living with limitations, relieving pain, money matters.

Look Good Feel Better
Developed specifically for women undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the program teaches women how to enhance their appearance through the use of cosmetics, wigs, turbans and scarves. The American Cancer Society also provides free wigs and turbans.

Man to Man
Designed for men and their families affected by prostate cancer, the program provides information about diagnosis, treatment options, living with side effects and other related issues in a supportive atmosphere. Sarasota Memorial is proud to have been the first host for this support group, which has since grown nationwide.

Woman to Woman
A forum for education and networking, this support group designed for women of all ages who have experienced breast cancer addresses issues such as body image, self esteem, relationships and stress management.

Reach to Recovery
Breast cancer survivor volunteers team up with women facing the emotional and physical challenges related to the diagnosis, treatment and effects of breast cancer.

Return to Wellness - Breast Cancer Recovery Program
A FREE 10-week program for women who have completed breast cancer treatment in the past year with no evidence of active cancer and with physician approval. Participants attend twice a week for two hours. Program consists of support, exercise and education and is led by professional facilitators, educators, instructors, nurses, and physicians. Free transportation provided, if needed.

Offered by the Wellness Community of Southwest Florida, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. To enroll in the program or for more information contact: The Wellness Community: (941) 921-5539.

The Wellness Community
Sarasota Memorial is proud to partner with The Wellness Community. A program of hope, learning and friendship, The Wellness Community offers cancer patients the opportunity to participate in their fight for recovery with a variety of free

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation Inc.
The Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc. – through community donations – has provided more than $2 million in funding for enhanced cancer care for patients at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, providing among other things, advanced diagnostic technology, facility enhancements and ongoing support for nursing and community cancer education.