Support Services
When you receive a cancer diagnosis, your world changes, and we want to provide real resources—people—you need to navigate your next steps. We offer Cancer Care Navigators to help you with every part of your journey so you can focus your energy where it needs to be: defeating the disease.
Care Navigators are available to help guide patients through the healthcare system as well as locate community resources that meet their needs. Assistance can be provided for many things, including practical problems such as transportation, finances, childcare, housing and insurance or clinically oriented problems such as treatment side effects, nutrition and home health needs. Our Care Navigators can also help coordinate your care and treatment by communicating with members of your medical team.
Mount Nittany Medical Center's Cancer Care Navigators offer the support that you and your family need and are available at no cost to patients.
Kristin Sides, BS
Certified Patient Navigator
Phone: 814.234.6175
Email: ksides@mountnittany.org
Mount Nittany Health Resources
At Mount Nittany Health, we strive to provide our oncology patients with all the resources they need when it comes to fighting cancer. We hope that these resources will help you connect to the person who can best meet your needs.
| Resource | Phone Numbers |
|---|---|
| Cancer Care Navigator Support Line | 814.231.7111 |
| Genetic Counseling and Testing | 1.800.243.1455 ext. 1631 |
| Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist | 814.231.7005 |
| Oncology Social Workers | 814.234.6153 |
| Ostomy/Wound Clinical Nurse Specialist | 814.234.6195 |
| Pastoral Care | 814.231.7090 |
| Cancer Care Navigator Support Line | 814.231.7111 |
| Service Excellence (problem resolution) | 814.234.6706 |
| Case Management Department | 814.234.6153 |
| Rehabilitation Services (speech, physical and occupational therapy) | 814.234.6169 |
| Rehabilitation Services (speech, physical and occupational therapy) | 814.234.6169 |
| Lady Lion Basketball Cancer Resource Center | 814.231.7030 |
Local Support Groups
The list below includes oncology-related support groups in the Central Pennsylvania area. Details for these support group meetings are listed in our events section.
| Group | Contact Information |
|---|---|
| Let's Talk —All Cancers | Cancer Survivors Association, 814.237.2120 |
| Prostate Cancer | Pieter Ouwenhand, 814.234.0143 |
| Breast Cancer Support and Education Group | Aileen Galley, 814.234.6787 |
| Ovarian Cancer Support Group | Aileen Galley, 814.234.6787 |
| Lymphedema Support Group | Amy Flick, 814.861.6608 |
| Central Counties Ostomy Association | Judy Faux, 814.234.6195 |
| Taking Charge of Your Health—Mindfulness Meditation | Bill Torretti, 814.360.3492 |
| Tides—Grief Support for Children and Those Who Care for Them | Leslie Finton, 814.692.2233 |
| Centre Crossings Hospice Support Group | Nichole Crawford, 814.237.7400 |
| Compassionate Friends | Amanda Fedisson, 814.383.9904 |
| Fertility Issues and Loss Support Group | info@heartofcpa.org, heartofcpa.org |
| Healing From Loss Support Group | Marie Radziak, 814.235.8906 |
| Home Nursing Support Group | Betsy Brett, 814.237.1404 |
| HEART Support Group | info@heartofcpa.org, heartofcpa.org |
| Life After Loss: A Group for the Bereaved | Donna Snyder, 814.237.2163 ext. 125 |
| Survivors of Suicide Support Group | Evelyn Wald, 814.237.0567 |
| Understanding Your Grief Support Group | Marie Radziak, 814.235.8906 |
Additional Cancer Resources
We strive to offer the most personalized cancer care possible, but we know that there's no such thing as too much support when it comes to fighting cancer. That's why we've collected these trusted resources for your convenience—it's just another way for our team to partner with you in your battle against cancer.
American Cancer Society Programs
These programs are offered in the State College community throughout the year.
Find upcoming events near you by visiting the ACS website
- Reach to Recovery
- This program involves trained volunteers who are breast cancer survivors offering practical tips on self-care and a listening ear to anyone with breast cancer at diagnosis, throughout treatment and during remission.
- I Can Cope
- This free education series for cancer patients, their families and friends addresses topics related to the cancer journey.
- Look Good...Feel Better
- This is a workshop in which specially trained volunteer beauty professionals teach women undergoing cancer treatment how to care for changes that may occur in skin and hair.
- Man-to-Man
- These are meetings for men with prostate cancer to provide education and the opportunity to connect with others who have the same diagnosis.
- Road to Recovery
- Trained Road to Recovery volunteers provide cancer patients transportation to and from outpatient cancer treatments.