“Stronger Together”

In a praiseworthy initiative by the Oncology Institute at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, in collaboration with the Israel Cancer Association, a six-session support and coping workshop was held for breast cancer patients. The workshop was initiated by Dr. Salome Khutsurauli, a senior physician at the Oncology Institute, with the support of coordinating nurse Nagam Biadsi and the Rehabilitation and Support Department Manager at the Israel Cancer Association, social worker Orit Shapira, and designed to create group enrichment meetings to support the patients.

The workshop enables continuity of care between the Institute's patients and the activities and support groups at the Strong Together community support centers of the Association, at branches such as Hadera, Or Akiva, Pardes Hanna, Zichron Yaakov, etc. The activity took place as part of the Hadera branch joining the Oncology Institute at Hillel Yaffe, alongside additional activities for patients who come to the Institute.

Breast cancer patients at a workshop given by the Oncology Institute at Hillel

Workshop participants are patients fighting breast cancer, who receive extensive knowledge and effective tools to help them cope the disease, along with enrichment and leisure meetings in various fields such as emotional support, mental resilience, getting back to their normal routine, physical activity, nutrition, self-care, dealing with menopause symptoms, exposure to basic breast cancer terminology, including raising awareness of the importance of screening tests, and more. Alongside these meetings, a coordinating nurse supports the patients throughout their journey and provides personalized professional support and guidance. The workshop is conducted in both Hebrew and Arabic.

"In partnership with the Israel Cancer Association, we have launched this special workshop for the benefit of the Institute's patients. The opportunity to meet and create a women's support circle is an important component of the comprehensive care we provide. Group meetings and supportive, encouraging conversation among participants help them grapple with the disease and enable genuine, open dialog that brings them closer together. Given the success of the workshop, we plan to continue the project and open additional workshops in the future," said Dr. Khutsurauli.