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Our Mission
Our mission at the Mountain Laurel Center is to
expand community awareness of and education about cancer issues, and to enhance
the quality of life of cancer patients, their family members, and caregivers by
addressing their psychological, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs
related to the impact of a diagnosis of cancer.
Our Goals
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To establish and maintain collaborative
relationships and partnerships with local communities, other cancer
centers, the medical community, and national, state, and local organizations.
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To be a responsible advocate for cancer issues
impacting individuals in our community.
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To provide current information on cancer, early
detection, treatment, clinical trials, and other cancer issues using
state-of-the-art resources in a culturally appropriate way.
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To remove barriers for those in need of cancer
screenings and treatment who are unable to access them for whatever reason.
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To reduce cancer incidence and mortality in our
region by designing, implementing, and evaluating long-range, comprehensive,
multi-disciplinary, and community-wide cancer control outreach projects.
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To provide psychological, social, emotional,
spiritual, and physical support to persons with cancer and their families.
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To provide quality personal services to all at
no cost in a welcoming environment.
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To foster hope and self-empowerment today and in
the future for those affected by cancer.
Our History
Located in the middle of central Appalachia, a
local cancer control and awareness coalition has been meeting since 1992. This
coalition was organized as a result of the Appalachian Leadership Initiative on
Cancer, a National Institutes of Health funded research project. The coalition
has grown steadily and now includes twenty-five area organizations, medical
providers, and community groups, as well as volunteers and cancer survivors.
Initially called CHALIC (Central Highlands Appalachian Leadership Initiative on
Cancer), the coalition recently renamed itself the Mountain Laurel Cancer
Support and Resource Center.
The Mountain Laurel Center serves Lee, Wise, and
Scott counties, and the City of Norton in Virginia and is located in an area
with a high incidence of cancer. The most disturbing statistic is the cancer
mortality rate -- people in our region die from cancer at a much higher rate
compared with the rest of the nation. Our region’s population meets the
criteria of a “health disparity population” as defined by the Health Care
Fairness Act. This is a definition used by the National Institutes of Health’s
Center for Minority Health in defining the population it targets. The percentage
of medically indigent persons in southwest Virginia is among the highest in the
country.
Mountain Laurel Center Coalition Key
Events: 1992-2006
1992 - CHALIC coalition formed for Lee,
Scott, and Wise counties, Virginia.
1998 - Community story-gathering circles
organized in local communities. Creation and performance of “Life’s
Circle” from the compilation of community members’ stories began. CHALIC
members attended The March: Coming Together to Conquer Cancer in Washington,
DC.
1998-2001 - “Life’s Circle”
performed at Virginia Department of Health conference and various regional
locations.
1999-2000 - 1st and 2nd Annual Cancer
Awareness Rally and March held in Norton, VA. Lenowisco CHALIC nominated for
HOPE Volunteer Award in conjunction with the 7th Biennial Symposium on
Minorities, The Medically Underserved & Cancer. Tri-State Collaborative
Cancer Control Project formed and meetings held with CHALIC groups from TN,
KY, and VA. Cancer Help computerized cancer information system purchased
through a grant and housed at University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
Vision, mission, goals, and list of services developed for Mountain Laurel
Center. Cancer Help volunteers trained and system demonstrated throughout
the planning district.
2001 - Grant funding received for a
coordinator for the Cancer Help computerized information system. Space
donated by Mountain Empire Older Citizens to serve as initial location for
Mountain Laurel Center. The space will house the coordinator of program
information and proposed story-telling initiative.
2002 - Grand opening celebration of the
Mountain Laurel Cancer Center at Mountain Empire Older Citizens in Big Stone
Gap, Virginia.
Since 1992, the Mountain Laurel Center and its
partners have worked collaboratively to develop resources so that every
individual has access to cancer screening services, regardless of ability to
pay. This has been achieved through quarterly health fairs in conjunction with
partner agencies throughout the service area.
The Reasons Behind the Dream
"When you first are told that you have cancer,
you feel like someone has blindsided you with a baseball bat," said breast
cancer survivor Marilyn Pace Maxwell of Norton. "When you finally come to,
you are desperate for information, anxious to arm yourself with the latest
treatment options and research findings, struggling to learn and understand the
new foreign language of the cancer world, frightened that you are going to die,
and in immediate need of learning that cancer is not a death sentence," she
continued.
The recent storytelling sessions, a project of the
Central Highlands Appalachian Leadership Initiative on Cancer (CHALIC), indicate
that the feelings experienced by Maxwell are normal responses by cancer patients
and their families and friends to a diagnosis of cancer. Local cancer patients
and survivors shared in their personal stories that they had often felt a strong
need for support for coping and living with a diagnosis of cancer.
"Cancer patients and those who love them need
to know that they are not alone, that there is hope, and that there are ways to
enhance the quality of their lives," said Jim Barker, who lost his
wife to breast cancer. "We so desperately needed a homelike, welcoming
place to meet others and to learn and share feelings and information during her
illness," continued Barker.
Mary Turner, breast cancer survivor of Norton and
organizer of the Caring Hearts Cancer Support Group, stresses that medical
treatment is just one aspect of the cancer experience. "The ideal is for
holistic help and support that provides education, companionship, and support
for people with cancer to explore their best choices for coping with
cancer," stated Turner. "Of course, cancer is a disease that impacts
the entire family as well as friends, so they need support, reassurance, and
encouragement as well as the patient," she added.
"We chose the name Mountain Laurel because we
wanted a name that was closely identified with our local area," said Nancy
Smith. "The Mountain Laurel is a hardy plant that is a real survivor that
comes back with a flourish each spring, adding richness and beauty to our local
landscape. We liked that positive image and symbol for the center and thought
that it was so appropriate in describing a friendly, comfortable place for those
impacted by cancer," she added.
Our Location
Come
visit us at the Mountain Laurel Center. The center is housed in the Mountain
Empire Older Citizens office building in Big Stone Gap, VA. If you have never
visited MEOC before, click
here for directions.
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