IU Health Bloomington Hospital partners with Cancer Support Community South Central Indiana

BLOOMINGTON – Fighting cancer isn’t a one-person job. That’s why IU Health Bloomington Hospital is excited to partner with Cancer Support Community (CSC) South Central Indiana to better support oncology patients in south-central Indiana.

“Partnering with the Cancer Support Community will allow us the opportunity to increase the variety of support programs we can offer in our community,” said IU Health Olcott Center Nurse Manager and Clinical Educator Terri Acton, RN, BSN, MS, CN-BN, OCN, CMF. “In the past, the nurse navigators have performed many of the support services. With CSC taking overall support services, our nurses will be able to concentrate on patient navigation and increase the number of patients they can provide services for.”

IU Health Olcott Center Nurse Manager and Clinical Educator Terri Acton, RN, BSN, MS, CN-BN, OCN, CMF

Joan Olcott, for whom the Olcott Center is named, was dedicated to the idea that each cancer patient in this area has a nurse navigator to assist them on the road towards recovery. IU Health is proud that this legacy will live on and expand.

Thanks to a grant and the licensing of Hoosiers Outrun Cancer from the Bloomington Health Foundation, CSC will serve patients throughout Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Brown, Orange, Greene, Daviess, Martin, Washington, Jackson, and Lawrence counties. Resources will include specialty support groups, counseling, cooking, and exercise classes.

Cancer Support Community–Central Indiana President and CEO Eric Richards said:

“For nearly three decades, Cancer Support Community has served cancer patients and their families in more than 39 counties in Indiana. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to create the south-central satellite location serving 11 counties in the region. This partnership has been nearly three years in the making and we are very excited to now have two full-time team members in the community. Being able to provide cancer patients and their families with free services and programs of support, education and hope is our sole goal.”

CSC is a non-profit network with 175 locations across the globe and has been in Indianapolis for over 25 years. IU Health is excited to have them in south-central Indiana for years to come.

Proceeds from Hoosiers Outrun Cancer fund these free resources for cancer patients, so please register for the 22nd Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5k walk/run at HoosiersOutrunCancer.org. The team is excited to see the community come together for this event set for Saturday, Sept. 25.