Pillars4Life and the LIVESTRONG Foundation Partner with Center

Program to Help Patients and Caregivers Thrive in the Face of Cancer

  Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at St. Tammany Parish Hospital has partnered with Pillars4Life and the LIVESTRONG Foundation to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families through an innovative program. Pillars4Life is a free online coping-skills training program with specially-trained mental health professionals teaching the evidence-based curriculum. Through online training groups held via phone or video conference, participants are guided through 10 coping skills training courses— all from the comfort of their own homes. The fear, confusion, anxiety and distress that often accompany cancer and its treatment overwhelming. This program teaches patients and their families a concrete set of skills for relieving fear, clearing confusion, gaining a sense of control, and cultivating inner peace. These skills improve decision-making, allow patients and caregivers to optimize their support systems, help them mobilize resources for getting their needs met and ultimately improve the quality of their lives. The Pillars4Life program will be implemented in 20 hospitals across the United States, including Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. For more information on the program or to learn how to participate, please contact Jane Freudenberger, MSW, LCSW at 985-276-6832 or jfreudenberger@marybird.com. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at St. Tammany Parish Hospital provides comprehensive cancer care that strives to positively impact the lives of cancer patients and their families on the Northshore. Services include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, as well as patient navigation, clinical trials and free community screenings. Not only do patients have access to these vital cancer services and high quality cancer care, but these services are readily available close to home.