How do Community Health Workers Affect Cancer Survivorship?
Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a vital role in improving cancer outcomes, especially for underserved populations.
Here are some ways Community Health Workers improve patient outcomes:
- Navigation & access programs to help guide patients through complex health systems.
- Connect patients to screenings.
- Bridge cultural and language gaps.
- Provide linguistically appropriate education.
- Emotional & social support offer psychosocial encouragement.
- Address nonmedical barriers.
- Evidence of Impact Boost screening rates.
- Improve health behaviors.
- Enhance care utilization.
Take Action
Promote
- Build out CHW network.
- Recruit more CHW, especially Hispanic to help with survivorship navigation.
- Cancer-specific CHW certificate (Cancer 101 training).
- Emphasize the importance of screening for survivors.
Partner
- Collaborate with Utah Community Health Worker Association (UCHWA) to strengthen community health worker workforce development, Infrastructure support for CHW development.
- Increasing state certified CHW workforce.
- Encourage systems to hire certified CHWs.
- Offer Salt Lake Community College community in health leadership curriculum, also available through National Institute of Health (NIH), community health centers (CHC) source for community based education, development and training.
- Train CHWs to support survivorship navigation.
Policy
- Standardize training requirements for CHWs.
References
(1) UCHWA
(2) CHW Core Skills
(4) Engaging Community Health Workers to Increase Cancer Screening
How Does Financial Toxicity Affect Cancer Survivorship?
Financial toxicity is the financial strain that many people experience when facing the costs of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Even before a diagnosis, expenses related to screenings, testing, and preventive care can feel overwhelming, especially for those with limited insurance or financial resources.
For patients already battling cancer, the burden grows with high out-of-pocket costs, time away from work, and unexpected bills can add significant stress during an already difficult time.
This financial strain can lead to delaying or skipping important screenings, treatments, or medications, which can affect both health outcomes and overall well-being (1).
Addressing financial toxicity means not only treating the disease but also supporting patients and families in navigating the economic challenges that come with it, ensuring they have access to the care they need without sacrificing their financial stability.
Take Action
Promote
- Promote resources for financial assistance for cancer patients.
- Educate the public about cancer costs that extend beyond medical treatment.
Partner
- Work with health systems to decrease costs.
- Speak with different health system financial counselors. They can educate us, and to see how they can connect with the state partners.
- Increase financial literacy and decrease financial burden for young adult cancer survivors.
- Implement “Uncompensated Care,” financial benefit programs.
Policy
- Investigating support resources (financial, emotional, etc.) for those who use vouchers and then face costs related to cancer treatment and care, etc.
- Ensure Medicaid is available to all qualifying cancer patients.
- Financial assistance for survivors – access to food or support with other bills.
- Having to leave employment for cancer treatment.
- What are the options for unemployment, disability, emergency financial assistance, counseling services etc.
References
(1) Financial Toxicity (Financial Distress) and Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version
(2) Material Financial Hardship and Insurance-Related Experiences among Utah’s Rural and Urban Cancer Survivors
Patient Navigators are a team of social workers and community health workers who help guide patients through the healthcare system. Having a patient navigator often improves patient outcomes.
Patient Navigators help patients throughout their entire course from getting screened, receiving treatment and throughout follow up. They play a key role in cancer treatment and help to remove some barriers for accessing care.Take Action
Take Action
Promote
- Promote availability and awareness of patient navigation.
- Educate on patient navigators’ role and what they can provide.
- Increase awareness and promote implementation of principal illness navigation reimbursement through CMS.
Partner
- Provide patient navigation in patient’s primary language.
- Increase patient navigator capacity to work with patients on billing and paying for cancer treatment.
- Work with providers to develop a patient navigation toolkit or program specifically for cancer treatment and care.
Policy
- Standardize requirements for patient navigators.
- Require patient navigator trainings at health systems working with cancer patients.
References:
(1) NIH
(2) Patient Navigator Training
(3) Patient Navigator Fundamentals
(4) CDC
Support for cancer survivors can truly change health outcomes. Studies show that survivors who feel connected to others through support groups or strong social networks experience better quality of life, less anxiety, and even improved chances of survival.
Women with breast cancer who joined peer support programs reported feeling less anxious and more hopeful about their recovery (1). Research has also found that patients who feel satisfied with the support they receive from family, friends, or fellow survivors live longer compared to those who feel isolated.
Even being surrounded by other patients who live longer with cancer has been linked to higher survival rates. In short, survivor support is not just emotional it directly impacts recovery, overall well-being, and the long term health of people living with cancer.
Take Action
Promote
- Create safe spaces for survivors and caregivers to talk about their experiences.
- Provide patients and families with information to join support groups and caregiver groups.
- Offer ways for survivors to connect with each other in multiple languages when they are ready.
- Establish community based support for survivors.
- Host annual events to celebrate survivors.
Partner
- Match students, CHW, or others to needs repository.
- Create a resource toolkit with information for different cancer survivors.
- Singular location for information for different communities. Create resource on website.
- Create opportunities for survivors to advocate to legislators.
- Connect cancer survivors to meaningful opportunities to give back; cancer prevention, advocacy.
Policy
- Meet with health system financial counselors and state agencies to discuss a potential partnership geared to improve financial literacy for their patients and constituents.
References:
(1) The Effects of Peer Support Group on Promoting Quality of Life in Patients with Breast Cancer
(2) Rates of Support Among Survivors CASES
Cancer survivorship in Utah is about more than surviving treatment. It is also about fostering long-term health, resilience, and quality of life—a goal deeply tied to food security and nutrition.
Across Utah, food and nutrition security has been identified as a high-priority public health concern, with roughly one in ten households experiencing food insecurity and growing numbers of Utahns struggling to access affordable, healthy food options that support well-being and chronic disease management (1).
For cancer survivors – who often face financial strain, treatment-related side effects, and increased risk for secondary health issues – ensuring access to nutritious foods is critical for recovery, immune function, and long-term health outcomes.
Despite statewide efforts like the Community Food Security Program and locally tailored nutrition services, gaps in access to fresh, culturally appropriate, and consistent nutrition persist, underscoring the importance of a dedicated five-year plan that centers food security as a cornerstone of comprehensive survivorship care in Utah (2).
Take Action
Promote
- Pantries near cancer treatment centers.
- Physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices.
- Screening tools to identify food insecurity.
- Access to culturally relevant nutritious foods.
Partner
- Clinics and providers to educate on screening for food security.
- Health providers to refer patients and caregivers to food security resources.
- Nutrition counseling services for survivors in all stages of treatment.
Policy
- Standardize screening for food insecurity across health systems and providers.
- Provide funding for cancer survivors and their families to access nutritious food.
- Include food security resources in cancer appointments and follow-up visits.
References:
When cancer survivors get the care and support they need whether it’s managing lingering physical side effects, easing emotional worries, or helping with everyday challenges their overall health and recovery improve.
Each survivor’s needs can differ widely depending on the type of cancer they experienced, as treatments, side effects, emotional challenges, and long-term health considerations vary.
Too often, these needs go unmet: studies show that more than 7 in 10 survivors report ongoing concerns that aren’t fully addressed, from fatigue and pain to stress and financial struggles. When that happens, survivors are more likely to end up back in the hospital or in the emergency room.
When those needs are met—through things like supportive counseling, regular follow-up care, and even physical activity programs—patients not only feel better but also live longer, have fewer complications, and enjoy a better quality of life.
Take Action
Promote
- Meet with health system financial counselors and state agencies to discuss a potential partnership geared to improve financial literacy for their patients and constituents.
Partner
- Strengthen primary care capacity for survivorship issues.
- Work with partners at every level to ensure a smooth continuum of care.
- Making sure patients follow up on sending in self-administered tests.
- Some survivors have been impacted and want to help others. Help people give back to the cancer survivorship community and champions for others.
- Portability of all oncology medical treatments/records to primary care providers following oncology treatment (including information for ongoing tests/monitoring).
- Clinical survivorship planning.
- Narrative medicine; using patient stories to improve services and outcomes.
- Provide information to patients on fertility preservation options.
Policy
- Provide fertility preservation for adolescents and young adults with cancer.
References: