Freshen up your pink shirts and plan on spending Sunday, Jan. 17, at the tenth annual Pink Zone basketball game!
With a 2 p.m. tip-off, the Lady Lions will host their tenth annual Pink Zone game against Michigan, honoring breast cancer survivors and those that care for them.
It’s an extraordinary day when the Bryce Jordan Center is filled with fans dressed in pink and supporting an amazing cause. For those of us that volunteer behind the scenes with year round fundraising, or have a position funded by the Pink Zone, it’s a true celebration of those efforts.
Before grabbing your tickets, perhaps you might be interested to learn a little bit more about what this special organization is, the important community agencies that are fortunate enough to partner with them, and what resources are offered for community members like yourself.
The Pennsylvania Pink Zone is a partnership with Penn State Lady Lion Basketball created to promote breast cancer awareness and empower survivors through year-round efforts to raise funds.
Monies raised support organizations that focus on breast cancer education, research, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. As a culmination of year-round fundraising efforts, the Lady Lions dedicate one of their games to Pink Zone.
Mount Nittany Health is one of several beneficiaries of the Pink Zone, and for myself in particular, this is so very important because money raised helps to fund my position as breast health navigator at Mount Nittany Medical Center.
It’s quite an honor that I’ve been chosen as the breast health navigator at Mount Nittany Medical Center. I have been working with patients here for about two years, but still find that many aren’t sure what my role entails.
In my role as breast health navigator, I am responsible for removing any barriers to care and ensuring timely access, treatment, and follow-up for patients who are dealing with breast cancer, from those who have just been diagnosed, through individuals who have been facing this disease for an extended period of time.
Essentially, I am an advocate for our patients. Patients battling breast cancer need a strong support system, especially on the clinical front because it’s usually all new territory for them. I act as an educator, consultant, and liaison, helping patients navigate their breast care journey and survivorship.
Navigation, in our case, means helping to get around any barriers to a patient’s care. Barriers can be any number of things; they’re different for every person. What we commonly see as a barrier is transportation. Some patients require daily treatment that can go on for an extended period of time. Some patients are traveling many miles to our facility, and others may not drive. In both of these cases, transportation may be seen as a barrier, so it’s my job to help navigate through that.
Another barrier to care is financial concerns. I help navigate the barrier of financial concerns by connecting patients to resources that can help, as the patient may encounter increased expenses such as copays, deductibles, or added gas costs.
I want patients to know that asking questions and learning as much as they can about what they’re facing is so important. We have amazing resources here at Mount Nittany Health, from the staff to the providers, from the equipment and technology, to the Lady Lions Basketball Cancer Resource Center where patients can browse books or use the computers as a tool to help become better educated.
Patients should also remember that they’re never alone during this journey. They can call me at any time, and my services are absolutely free.
If you or a family member has been recently diagnosed, I encourage you to try a breast cancer support group, where he or she will be among people who are currently going through, or have gone through, a similar experience.
At Mount Nittany Medical Center, our breast cancer support group meetings – held the first Monday of every month at 5:30 pm – are very casual, and individuals can talk and participate as much or as little as they’d like. While we certainly see individuals who have been recently diagnosed, we also have a number of survivors who continue to attend.
Individuals can come each month, or only as often as they wish. We keep the meetings upbeat, I provide a meal for the attendees, and I try to schedule guest speakers a few times each year. A breast cancer support group can really be a positive and worthwhile experience for those battling breast cancer.
Overall, it’s important for patients and their families to know that there are community resources available, and people working diligently all year to make these resources available. The Pink Zone is an incredible organization, of which I am so proud to be a part. I hope to see you all on Sunday, Jan. 17.
