Center for Patient and Community Education
California Pacific Award for Excellence in Patient Education
2004 National Grand Winner
Blue Walcer, 2004 Grand Winner (on left)
and Dr. Martin Brotman, President & CEO,
California Pacific Medical Center (on right)
CARE - Cancer Awareness, Resources, and Education
San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center
San Francisco, California
Project Summary: CARE is an education program for cancer patients that provides psychosocial and practical support. The patient population served by this program is racially and ethnically diverse; over 90% are low-income or indigent; the majority have low literacy skills and are profoundly isolated in their communities. CARE patient education covers care and treatment options, nutrition, spirituality, complementary medicine, advanced directives, pain and fatigue management recommendations. Each session includes a healthy meal, a relaxation exercise, a check-in topical presentation, and a wrap-up closure in which goal-setting activities are assigned and monitored. The program is designed to enhance personal empowerment and provide a sense of community, enable communication with health care providers, and improve wellbeing. In addition, acting on the recognition that "people are more than their diseases," CARE offers field trips to SF cultural sites. To facilitate attendance, vouchers for taxis and child care are provided. The CARE program has 8-12 week sessions, with new sessions beginning weekly. CARE has a multidisciplinary perspective that includes health education, medicine, and social psychology. Focus groups are conducted in Spanish and English, and one-on-one interviews with patients, family, physicians, and staff are also provided.