It's official! Fall is upon us. And for many affiliates, we enter the season of all things purple. Getting out the word about PanCAN and all we do to support the community comes to the forefront of our activities. Ensuring we reach ALL people, especially those most vulnerable to the disease, is vital in our vision. We know that incidence rate of pancreatic cancer is higher for Black Americans. And we also know that there are many barriers such as access to healthcare, transportation, financial restraint, and even language that can keep patients and caregivers from getting the proper care needed. So, what can volunteers do to help close these gaps for those most vulnerable? Here are a few tips:
 

• Patient Services, Patient Services, Patient Services! We sound like a broken record, but PanCAN Patient Services should TRULY be our first recommendation to our survivors and their care team. Making sure that Patient Services is part of their pancreatic cancer journey should be in the ‘script’ for all the volunteers at the affiliate to share. Use an affiliate meeting and/or survivor/caregiver meeting to expand on the Patient Services program. Kenny Anet, 16-year survivor said, “PanCAN has done all the homework in finding what is available and they’ve taken the fruit of that research and are giving it to the patients.”

 

• Find and connect with your Community Health Clinics. Many community health clinics aim to reach those with income barriers by offering free and/or sliding-scale care for those without insurance. You can check if a community health center is near you by going to www.findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Ask them if you can send them PanCAN material that can be made available in a common space like the lobby or waiting area.

 

• Check in with your local healthcare partners/institutions about their resources. Is there a patient navigator? Do they have bilingual services? Do they have mobile clinics? How do they address health literacy? Our final question is: how can PanCAN be a part of their conversations and support programs when meeting with newly diagnosed patients? Being included in the dialogue can help PanCAN be the go-to source for healthcare teams.  

 

• Look for a bilingual volunteer who would be willing to translate all that is happening within the affiliate, whether it is welcoming new members or translating during a health fair. Offering those volunteers an opportunity to serve the non-English speaking community will help us reach those vulnerable due to a language barrier.

This face-to-face action gives us the best opportunity to disseminate the most up-to-date information PanCAN has to offer.

These are just a few things that you can try out. Find the ways that are best fit for your affiliate and, most importantly, for your community members. When we say that PanCAN’s mission is to create a world in which ALL pancreatic cancer patients will thrive, we mean ALL patients.