Cancer Center Patient Advocate Program to Receive $650K from Hospital Gala

Being in a hospital receiving treatment for cancer—even world-class treatment—is challenging.

With the help of musician Kenny Loggins and local donors, the El Camino Hospital Foundation has raised $650,000 at the hospital’s Sapphire Soiree, enough money to pay for a new program to try to ease that difficulty at the hospital’s Cancer Center.

The Patient Navigator program will provide people both to act as patient advocates and work with physicians to provide patient care.

Honorary co-chairs and Los Altans, Pamela and Ed Taft, boosted the fundraising by pledging to match donations up to $250,000, inaugurating a May black-tie gala of 420, one that El Camino Hospital Foundation plans to be an annual event.

“It was so much more than we anticipated, given the economic climate,” said Larry Kretchmar, who co-chaired the event with his wife, Bernis. A Mountain View resident, Kretchmar said the community had demonstrated willingness to support El Camino’s innovative programs.

Hospital Cancer Center Medical Director Dr. Shyamali Singhal described “patient navigators” this way:

“First, they’ll serve as patient advocates, providing assistance to patients, survivors, families and caregivers to help them chart a course through the health care system. They can provide practical help, such as arranging transportation to and from treatment, help with insurance and financial issues and function as a guide through the daunting complexities of evaluating treatment options.

“Second, they will work directly with physicians to ensure that patients are appropriately referred to available support services,” Dr. Singhal continued. “That might include making sure that patients’ tests and results are complete and available to the physician, suggesting genetic testing for a breast cancer patient or helping identify clinical trials that might have benefit."

El Camino Hospital administrators describe its Cancer Center as one where the  focus is on delivering “the ultimate in high precision, targeted radiation therapies for breast, prostate, gynecologic and endorectal cancers using technology ranging from High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy to the Cyberknife.”

The Patient Navigator Program is intended to address the personal needs, amid the technology.

“We want to provide aggressive, multi-disciplinary treatment using the most advanced technologies available, but we can never lose sight of the fact that we are treating real people.,” said Dr. Shane Dormady, an oncologist who practices at El Camino Hospital Cancer Center.  “Providing personalized support as they face the many challenges of this disease is just as important as providing quality medical care."

The sold-out gala to raise money for the program was held at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park, and it celebrated the hospital’s 50th anniversary.

It included a moving testimonial from cancer patient Ethel Herr before the challenge grant from Pamela and Ed Taft was announced. “We were delighted to see that our contribution really got the ball rolling, motivating others to step up, too,” said Pamela Taft.

Palo Alto’s Darren McClung Precious Jewelry contributed a 4.8-carat sapphire, dropped into one of the glasses of champagne sold at the event. Lead sponsors for the event were Verifone and Vocera.