“Coping with the Cost of Cancer Care” Information Surprises Event Audience.

Sarasota, FL – January 28, 2010 – If you were faced with a choice between food and medicine, which would you choose? Of course there is no good answer and The Wellness Community of Southwest Florida’s (TWC) recent “Coping with the Cost of Cancer Care” event only underscored this point.  

At the event, approximately 60 cancer patients, health care workers and TWC staff and board members listened to a diverse panel of professionals discuss how to best navigate the complex challenges associated with the costs of cancer care.  

Most of the audience was unaware of the depth of low-to-no cost local resources that are here locally and readily available to those battling cancer. Many facts presented were surprising, such as medical expenses now becoming the number one cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. They heard about a variety of no-cost programs offered by The Wellness Community, and about The Community Pharmacy of Sarasota County, Inc., a local resource for pharmaceutical care for uninsured people in need.   

Since the monthly cost of cancer-related medicines can be prohibitive - upwards of $70,000 per month - The Community Pharmacy, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit pharmacy and advocacy center funded entirely from private donations and grants, assists Sarasota County’s uninsured residents in acquiring prescriptions that they could not otherwise afford.  

“This was probably one of the most helpful programs that The Wellness Community has ever presented,” said TWC’s Program Director, John Kleinbaum, Ph.D. “Sarasota is so fortunate to have programs such as ours and The Community Pharmacy. Not every community has resources that are offered free of charge and TWC is committed to helping spread the word about all available programs and services.”     

Along with Kleinbaum, the panel of local experts included Kimberly Chmielewski, Executive Director at The Community Pharmacy of Sarasota County; Mary Alice Jackson, Esq, Elder Law Attorney from Boyer & Jackson, Sarasota; Elizabeth Bornstein, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System; Marion Stewart, Patient Services Manager, American Cancer Society; and Lourdes Arvelo, Patient Services Manager, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  

About The Wellness Community
The Wellness Community of Southwest Florida (TWC) is a not-for-profit organization that provides support, education and hope for people affected by cancer, empowering them to fight for recovery and improve the quality of their lives. TWC programs are held in a home-like facility where participants and their loved ones can meet other participants and share coping mechanisms. With the guidance and support of licensed therapists, participants learn to become actively involved in their recovery.  

The programs are funded entirely by philanthropic contributions and grants. There is no charge for any services provided by TWC. Since 1996, more than 9,000 individuals have made more than 50,000 visits to TWC in Sarasota and at satellite locations throughout the area. For more information visit www.wellness-swfl.org.