Cobb County Cancer Centers to Offer Free Workshops on Managing Financial Distress

    ATLANTA, GA, June 05, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cobb County cancer centers are offering three free workshops on managing financial distress for cancer patients and survivors, as well as family members and caregivers.

The first workshop will be held at the Cobb Cancer Center, 1700 South Hospital Drive, Suite 302, Austell, GA, 30106, on Tuesday, June 11 from 11:00am until 12:30pm.

The second workshop will be held at the Kennestone Cancer Center, 340 Kennestone Hospital Blvd., Marietta, GA, 30060, on Tuesday, July 9 from 6:00pm until 7:30pm.

The final workshop will be held in the Magnolia Room at the Women's Center, 3950 Austell Road SW, Austell, GA, 30106, on Monday, Aug. 12 from 12:00pm until 1:30pm. Free parking passes will be provided for patients and their family members at all workshops.

In medical oncology research, financial distress has been described as "financial toxicity" because the high out-of-pocket costs for cancer treatment can interfere with quality of life, health, and treatment outcomes. The distress can also lead to anxiety or depression.

This free educational workshop was developed to address the problem of financial toxicity, and it will cover problem-solving strategies, coping skills, and financial assistance resources.

The workshop will be facilitated by a Scott Smith, a licensed professional counselor and doctoral level clinical psychology student at Mercer University in Atlanta. Smith will also be conducting research on the workshop for his doctoral dissertation, and participation in the research study will be optional for workshop attendees.

"Research shows that financial toxicity is a major problem in cancer care, but there's a lack of specific interventions for patients," Smith said. "We're currently piloting this new group intervention, and we'll follow up with individuals who want to participate and provide feedback on what was most helpful."

The free workshops are being offered through the cancer centers in conjunction with Mercer University's Leo Program for Coping After Cancer, directed my Meghan W. Cody, Ph.D., assistant professor of Clinical Psychology at Mercer University in Atlanta.

To RSVP for a workshop, call the Cancer Connect Line at 1-877-366-6032, option 0. For more information about the workshops, visit the Leo Program Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/The-Leo-Program-Coping-After-Cancer-402938953812662/

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