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HAAAC will continue to provide counseling services to patients and their families to allay the fears associated with a cancer diagnosis and to answer questions/concerns that the patients or families may have.† When cancer strikes one person, the whole family is emotionally affected as well.
According to a Hospital social case manager, doctors usually spent 3 to 5 minutes when explaining a diagnosis to a patient.† Thus, when the patient does not understand English and cannot ask the doctor a question, this patient needs a Creole translator to explain further such diagnosis.† It has been reported that some Haitians patients are not aware of the type of surgery that will be performed on them even on the day of the surgery.† HAAAC's role is to serve as a link between the doctors and the patients.
Once a person has been diagnosed, and the diagnosis has been fully explained to him/her, he/she needs counseling before and after the cancer surgery. The counseling, which HAAAC will provide before the surgery, gives the person a detailed view of the type of operation that will be performed, and temporary or permanent side effects pertaining to the surgery. Books/brochures in the appropriate language written about the types of cancer may be lent to the patients to help them on their own time. After the surgery, HAAAC will help the patient in the recovery stage with counseling.
Most of the time, a Haitian patient is not aware of available resources that he/she may be qualified for under some existing program. This includes both resources covered by insurance companies as well as resources free to the community. To obtain these resources can sometimes be difficult to understand. HAAAC will work with both the patients and the providing entities in translating their resources and assisting with the completion of necessary forms needed to obtain these resources.
HAAAC's staff and trained volunteers will provide home and hospital visitations to cancer patients to ease the impact of the whole experience for them. It will provide the patients with companionships in the events theirs families cannot be there for them during this period - a common occurrence in the Haitian community. Often, when HAAAC visited cancer patients in 1998 at the hospitals, their families are rarely there.
Once the doctors provide a copy of the treatment choices that are available to the patients, HAAAC will explain to the patients the various cancer treatment choices in Creole. The association's priority is to make sure that the patients fully understand all aspects of potential treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and their side effects.
HAAAC has established a cancer support group to help families and patients cope with this disease. Since 1999, have been held on a monthly basis. The purpose of theses meetings is to have families/ cancer patients share their various experiences with cancer. By talking openly about the disease with people who are experiencing the same fate, fears are usually decreased.
Community outreach activities are held twice a month in the Haitian community. Targeted areas are: Laundromats, beauty salons, churches, and grocery stores. HAAAC's goal in these outreaches is to make the community aware of the issue of cancer and how to take preventive steps against this disease by distributing written materials on the subject in Creole and by verbally sharing knowledge of the subject in Creole.
HAAAC's goal is to reach ALL the multicultural communities of Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties. HAAAC will share its data, and findings with leaders of these communities to become a part of existing networks.
Hospitals and hospices are a majors referral sources for HAAAC. HAAAC'S goal in 2001 is to form alliances with case managers and social workers of these health institutions.
The "Switchboard of Miami" is a private, multi-service, non-profit agency (twenty-four hours, seven days a week) offering comprehensive 358-HELP line telephone crisis counseling, information/referral services. It also steers callers to the appropriate sources for additional information. Inclusion of HAAAC on the "Switchboard of Miami" listing will be a component in helping the association reaches its goals.
The HAAAC has developed strong ties with various local radio stations such as HOT 105 FM, WEDR 99.1 FM, and different Haitian radio shows to help with Public Service Announcements and interviews. THE Miami Herald, The Miami Times, Haiti En Marche, Haitiens Aujourd'hui have written articles about the HAAAC. The association will continue doing PSA's and interviews on radios and develop a strong relationship with TV channels to help promote its mission.
The HAAAC will form strategic alliances with clinics and primary care centers for Haitian patient referrals. The association will keep these clinics and primary care centers inform of its monthly calendars, services, and upcoming activities.
Various workshops are planned yearly. These workshops will stress up-to-date information on treatment choices depending on the stage and site of the cancer as well as availability of resources.
The HAAAC will participate in different health fairs within the community. At these health fairs, the association's volunteers will distribute pamphlets and brochures to the public, and provide a booth to teach BSE (breast self-examination). These fairs provide an excellent way to network with other organizations and corporations that may be helpful to the HAAAC.
The HAAAC will distribute flyers, pamphlets in Creole and English at various public gatherings, meetings, and festivities in the community to maintain an on-going presence and continue to educate the public on cancer, cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment choices.
The HAAAC will continue to conduct cancer awareness seminars in churches, and in local schools at all levels - elementary, middle, and high schools For 2001, the association will attempt to coordinate its seminars in the schools with the PTA meetings in order to reach the students' parents as well.
One of the priorities of the HAAAC for 2002 is to produce a videotape on Breast Cancer in Creole. The association has developed a script for this video. The HAAAC would like to make this videotape available to the public in October 2002 (Breast cancer awareness month) for a modest fee once funding for its production is allocated. Furthermore, the association will distribute it through all medical clinics that have a strong Haitian clientele to be viewed in the waiting rooms while patients wait before they see their doctors.
HAAAC provides a monthly calendar listing upcoming activities (date, place, and location) of the association. The calendar will be made available to various Haitian churches, schools, hospitals, hospices, and other health care facilities as well as consumer stores where the Haitian population is concentrated.
HAAAC will continue doing radio and TV programs on cancer awareness in the Haitian community of South Florida. These programs will inform the Haitian public o upcoming events, free screenings, and list of other activities in the fight against this disease. The HAAAC has targeted the Haitian radio programs as one of the sources for dissemination of information because they are a preferred medium among the Haitian community.
Health care professionals on the front line of the fight against cancer, who interact with patients on a daily basis, are the association's crucial participants in identifying the needs of the cancer patients in the community.
These two important, national departments will serve as references for statistical data to steer HAAAC's missions in the best interest of the public.
The HAAAC will rely on the financial participation, and in-kind donations of American foundations, corporations, and health plans.
Researches and statistics on the number of Haitian cancer patient cases arising among the Haitian population must be documented and shared with proper officials: local, State, and Federal levels for proper funding.
Health care facilities are vital participants to HAAAC's mission and goals. They will identify patients in need of HAAAC's services and they will provide space within their facilities for HAAAC's activities such as workshops, health fairs, and cancer support group meetings.
