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After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, you will have many questions. How do other women manage their breast cancer diagnosis? How did they tell their family and friends? Is there someone to talk to for support and reassurance?
The Patient Survivor Advocates program (PSA) is a UW Health Breast Center service that matches newly diagnosed UW Health breast cancer patients with a trained volunteer who has had personal experience dealing with the challenges of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The Patient Survivor Advocates can assist and guide you throughout your breast cancer evaluation and treatment processes. PSAs are not medical professionals, but have received training from breast cancer specialists as well as from the UW Hospital and Clinics Volunteer program.
Patient Survivor Advocates may:
Contact women with a new breast cancer diagnosis by phone to provide emotional support
Learn the needs of new breast cancer patients and make appropriate referrals to UW Health Breast Center staff
Share their personal experiences and helpful tips with Breast Center patients
PSA volunteers will help you at any time during your treatment. They are women of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles who are available to talk with you one-on-one.
If you are interested in this program, staff will work to match you with a PSA volunteer who has a similar background and diagnosis. The PSA volunteer will be given your name, address and phone number and will call you at the times you indicate. From there, it is up to you and the volunteer to decide on when you would like to speak again.
The Patient Survivor Advocate program is available at both UW Health Breast Center locations - 600 Highland Avenue and 1 S. Park St - and is made possible by a grant from the South Central Wisconsin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
