Education and Awareness of Patient Rights for Breast Cancer Survivors and Families
Project Location:
Greater Metropolitan Area of San Jose, and throughout Costa Rica
Project Leader:
Cinthia Solano
Project Lead Organization:
National Association for a Second Chance at Life (ANASOVI)
Project Goal:
To educate breast cancer patients and families nationwide about their health rights and to help an increased number of breast cancer patients have the access to diagnosis and treatment to which they are entitled.
Target Audience:
Breast cancer patients in the Greater Metropolitan Area and throughout Costa Rica
Project Description:
Major barriers in breast health in Costa Rica include a lack of information about health rights and what the public healthcare system (CCSS) covers for screening and treatment, as well as bureaucratic inefficiencies at the CCSS. The project leaders held educational sessions in 2010 on BSA in order to raise awareness about breast self-awareness, breast health, health rights, and the work of ANASOVI at conferences and health fairs in several districts. The organization made presentations at hospitals and the organizations FUNDESO, ASOCATI, ASOCAMPRO, the Fundación para el Paciente con cáncer Hospital Calderón Guardia, Fundación Esperanza, the volunteer group Luz de Esperanza from Liberia, FUNCORE, Fundación Vida Nueva and Asociación Resurgir have collaborated with ANASOVI at various events. The team has also been assisting cancer patients take their legal claims against CCSS to constitutional court.
Navigator Trainings and Support Groups
Project Location:
San Jose
Project Leader:
Roberto Redondo and Annia Vargas
Project Lead Organization:
Thyroid Cancer Association (ASOCATI)
Project Goal:
To assist cancer patients in better navigating the public healthcare system and provide sustainable cancer patient support groups.
Target Audience:
Breast cancer patients and survivors
Project Description:
ASOCATI trained 16 volunteers to be patient navigators to help diagnosed breast and thyroid cancer patients navigate the complex public health system (CCSS) in a more efficient and effective manner at the San Juan de Dios Hospital. Their goal is to help ensure that patients obtain the proper medical services from the CCSS by providing both educational material and patient support. ASOCATI provides assistance to one patient per navigator. In addition, the project trained eight support group facilitators in an attempt to answer the dearth of emotional support groups in Costa Rica. Currently, one support group has been established that meets monthly at the Ross Foundation, with the goal to establish more in the future.
Research and Training for CCSS Users and Volunteers
Project Location:
San Jose
Project Leader:
Juana Lazo
Project Lead Organization:
Ross Foundation
Project Goal:
To implement a pilot breast health education campaign at the country’s largest hospital, San Juan de Dios Hospital, that clearly demonstrates and explains to the average patient how to navigate the public healthcare system. With the success of this program the project leaders hope to implement the project in other hospitals.
Target Audience:
Oncology department volunteers; cancer patients of the national public healthcare system
Project Description:
The inability of women to navigate the complex and multi-tiered public healthcare system in Costa Rica (CCSS) has resulted in diagnoses at very late stages of the disease or an inability to further treat women during their ailment, and the inability to provide a better quality of life for women undergoing this situation. The Ross Foundation worked closely with the organizations ANASOVI and ASOCATI to narrow this gap by creating a patient navigator training program for oncology department volunteers in Costa Rica’s largest hospital, San Juan de Dios Hospital, where 45% of the country’s new breast cancer cases are treated. Thirty-five volunteers were trained in the pilot program and they are working at the hospital and at eight breast cancer clinics in the country and have already helped navigate over 100 women through the system. The Ross Foundation is now working on expanding the program to at least three additional national hospitals within the next three years. The organization has currently raised $75,000 through their cancer race and corporate sponsors, and has made this a permanent Ross Foundation program. They have hired a program coordinator and are researching the possibility of incorporating more professionals from the health care system, such as nurses and social workers.