At Dana-Farber, our investment in discovering the next ground-breaking cancer drug is matched by our commitment to providing patients with the most supportive care possible. Twenty-five years ago, we pioneered some of the first research on the effectiveness of palliative care to tend to the emotional and social needs of cancer patients and established the nation’s first palliative care training and education program. As the nation’s first cancer center to hire a full-time oncology social worker and establish a pediatric palliative care program, Dana-Farber is a global leader in psychosocial oncology and palliative care.
For many patients with cancer, debilitating symptoms can limit their ability to manage the demands of everyday life and can make them feel as though their health is beyond their control. At Dana-Farber, giving patients back that sense of control is always top-of-mind. We have long believed–and our research now confirms–that patients benefit most when care tends to their emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, as well as their physical disease.
Gifts to the campaign will enhance our ability to integrate compassionate supportive care with industry-leading research to provide the best symptom management for today while developing innovative care models for the future.
Additional support will make it possible to harness big data, smartphone technology, and other resources to proactively identify patients supportive care needs, enhance doctor-patient communication, improve symptom management, and ultimately empower patients to live the best lives possible with cancer.
Funds raised through The Dana-Farber Campaign will enable us to provide more psychosocial and palliative care services, as well as caregiver support at all our Dana-Farber locations. We will create fellowships for researchers, nurses, social workers, and physicians to build on that legacy by training the next generation of leaders in this field. Based on rigorous science, our findings and practices will help improve care—not just at Dana-Farber but worldwide.
For more information or questions, please contact Jenn Musso.