A peer-to-peer support program that pairs gynecologic cancer patients with trained volunteer survivors who provide one-on-one emotional support and mentoring.
Promotes education and self-advocacy for women in treatment.
Volunteers are carefully matched to new patients.
Trained volunteers meet one-on-one with the patients with whom they are matched to: they listen, discuss concerns, provide (non-medical) advice, support, and sometimes just hold a hand.
When and where did Woman to Woman start?
The very first Woman to Woman site started at Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2004 by ovarian cancer survivor Valerie Goldfein.
Valerie’s goal in starting the program was to alleviate some of the fear and loneliness she experienced at the time of her diagnosis with ovarian cancer.
The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (OCRFA) was an early funder of the Woman to Woman Program at Mount Sinai, and continues to be the funding agency for the program as it grows.
The Woman to Woman Program at UAB is newly funded by OCRFA. As of 2016, UAB’s Woman to Woman Program comprises 1 of the 22 total sites around the United States.
Which types of cancer does Woman to Woman support?
Our program supports the following gynecologic cancers:
Ovarian
Uterine
Endometrial
Cervical
Vulvar
Vaginal
Since we just came into existence, we do not currently have mentors for all of the cancer types listed above. Please help us find mentors so we can better serve our patients!
Who is eligible to participate as a survivor volunteer or patient?
Our mentors/survivor volunteers must be gynecologic cancer survivors who are 1-year post-treatment.
Any gynecologic cancer patient undergoing (or waiting for) treatment can be a mentee.
How does the program work?
Both volunteers and patients receive regular emotional and educational support from the Program Coordinator.
Survivors identified as possible volunteer undergo a screening interview. They receive comprehensive training, and are matched with patients for peer support. After training, volunteers attend quarterly support meetings and debrief as necessary with the Coordinator.
What are the benefits of a patient being mentored through W2W?
Having a companion in coping with a new cancer diagnosis and treatment, especially one who can offer practical advice and useful tips.
Managing anxiety and fear with help from someone who has been in your shoes.
Living proof of others’ survival as hope for a positive treatment outcome.
Decreased isolation because of support from someone with shared experiences.
How are volunteers trained?
Volunteers are trained by the Program Coordinator. They:
Receive comprehensive, ongoing training in which they learn active listening, communication skills, and how to address cultural differences.
Receive a brief overview of gynecologic cancers and the issues associated with them.
Gain an understanding of their own relationship to their illness as they prepare to volunteer.
Give hope and special insight that can only come from someone with a personal gynecologic cancer experience.
Participate in regular meetings with the Program Coordinator and fellow volunteers.
What does it mean to be a volunteer/survivor mentor?
Volunteers draw upon their personal experience to provide emotional support and information.
Contact with patients can occur in a number of different ways. It may include: inpatient bedside visits, visits to chemotherapy, radiation treatments, phone, email or other methods of correspondence.
Volunteers will receive training and ongoing education, which will support them as they comfort their assigned patient.