Dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis is difficult enough without the added burden of making life-altering decisions about care and treatment of the disease.
By Dubravka Kolumbic-Cortese
Dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis is difficult enough without the added burden of making life-altering decisions about care and treatment of the disease.
The Breast Cancer Bridge program at Inspira Health Network was designed to ease that burden for patients and help them feel less alone during their breast cancer journey. The program was started about 16 years ago by a former breast cancer patient and Inspira employee who was unable to find a support network to help her navigate through the difficult process of dealing with the disease.
Ruth Ann Bishop-Sotak, RN "She felt that there was no one out there to help her," said Ruth Ann Bishop-Sotak, RN, Breast Health Coordinator and Nationally Certified Breast Care Nurse.
Bishop-Sotak has coordinated Inspira's Breast Cancer Bridge program since 2005 and sees patients at Inspira Health Network's Frank and Edith Scarpa Regional Cancer Pavillion in Vineland and other locations. Bishop-Sotak said the goal of the program is to support the patients through their whole cancer journey, not just the surgery, but the treatment process as well.
"I support them emotionally," Bishop-Sotak said. "It's important that you are here for them. The patients go through a lot. It's a long journey. Most women are caregivers themselves and are used to taking care of others. It's hard for them to know that this journey is about them, so they have to lean on other people. They are used to being the strong person."
A breast cancer survivor herself, Bishop-Sotak can personally attest to the importance of the program, as well as to the value of having former cancer patients act as counselors, advisors or sometimes just a sounding board for a woman facing the emotional and physical aspects of dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis.
"What's unique about this program is that you are actually speaking with someone who has been there and understands what's going on," Bishop-Sotak explained. Speaking with someone who has beaten the disease can also be inspirational to a patient, she added.
Barbara Sanza, 57, said Bishop-Sotak's successful cancer journey is reassuring to her as she prepares for the start of her radiation therapy.
"She was so helpful and supportive," Sanza said. "No matter how many people try to support you, it's different when the support comes from someone who's been through it and knows about it. If it was something I was nervous about, I could call her and she could walk me through it, because she's been there. I can't explain what a great person she is."
Bishop-Sotak also supports what she calls "reconnections," former patients who contact her with needs ranging from a wig to a prosthesis. Through community donations, the Breast Cancer Bridge has been able to provide patients with those needs, even giving them gas cards to help them get to and from treatments.
Every program participant receives a care package filled with educational material such as a breast cancer treatment handbook, information about support groups and where to purchase wigs and even care notes meant to help them find personal strength to deal with their journey. The program first received certification from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Center in 2012.
Sanza was diagnosed with breast cancer last March and has had a team of Inspira health care professionals, such as surgical oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Revesz MD and radiation oncologist Dr. Glenda Smith MD, with her every step of the way. "Their cancer center is wonderful," Sanza said. "They are there to support you. It's nice to have all those people with me on my journey."
For more information on Inspira's Breast Cancer Bridge Program, contact Inspira's Frank and Edith Scarpa Regional Cancer Pavilion in Vineland at 856-641-8670.