Special Services
Spiritual care
The Cancer Care & Research Center (CCRC) provides chaplaincy services to our patients, families, and caregivers. We understand the diagnosis of cancer can bring about spiritual concerns and questions for you and your loved ones. We recognize that spiritual care is an integral part of the healing process from cancer. We uphold that attention to your faith and spiritual practices can be an important source of strength and hope while you live with cancer. A diagnosis of cancer also can provide an opportunity for making decisions about your treatments and completing your advance healthcare plan.
Our trained chaplains serve patients and families by:
- Connecting with community clergy and churches.
- Listening to feelings, emotions and concerns.
- Providing a comforting presence.
- Offering prayer, sacraments and other faith resources.
- Caring with compassion for the whole person.
- Assisting with advance healthcare planning and ethical decision making.
- Providing pastoral counseling.
- Exploring vital resources for health and wellness.
- Addressing personal and family concerns.
- Offering spiritual companionship.
To contact a chaplain, call 218.736.8077. You may also ask a CCRC staff member to contact a chaplain for you.
Social Services & Counseling
The Cancer Center has a licensed social worker who can provide individual, family, and group counseling sessions. The social worker works directly with patients and caregivers as part of our multidisciplinary care team. She is available to help patients and caregivers cope with the impact and changes that result from a diagnosis of cancer.
- feeling overwhelmed
- adjusting to your diagnosis
- how your life is changing
- advance care planning
- not feeling safe at home
- the financial impact of your illness/treatment
- intimacy, sexuality and relationships
- talking to your children about your diagnosis
- transitions in care
Counseling services include:
- Adjustment to diagnosis and treatment
- Coping with life changes
- Relaxation and mindfulness
- Advance care planning
- Crisis intervention
- Grief and loss
- Sexuality and intimacy
- Relationship safety
- Talking to children/teens whose parents have cancer
- Couples/family sessions
Support Groups
- Cancer Patient Support Group - Every other Tuesday at 2pm
- Caregiver and Family Support Group - 4th Thursday at 2pm
Speak with your provider, nurse, or ask for the social worker directly if you would like to begin counseling services or attend a support group.
Nutrition services
The right nutrition improves tolerance to cancer treatment, increases energy and immune function, rebuilds healthy cells, and decreases your risk of infection. This helps you complete your cancer treatments on schedule. Personalized nutrition counseling is a complimentary service of the CCRC.
Nutritional needs during cancer treatment vary widely from person to person, depending on many factors. In general:
- Choose a diet with many types of plant-based foods. Try substituting legumes (dried beans and peas) for meat at some meals each week.
- Try to eat at least five colorful servings a day of fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits and dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables. Colorful vegetables and fruits contain natural health-promoting substances called phytochemicals.
- Include more high-fiber foods, such as legumes and whole grain breads and cereals, each day.
- Make sure you are eating enough of the right kinds of protein.
- Most of your fats should come from plant sources. Limit saturated fats. Avoid hydrogenated (trans) fats.
- Choose salt-cured, smoked and pickled foods less often.
To learn about your specific nutritional needs, schedule an appointment with the dietitian. Call 218.736.8688.