How Can We Help Patients and Their Families?

There are nine Social Workers available to Fox Chase Cancer Center patients and their families. Social Workers have an “MSW” (Master of Social Work) degree, which required them to complete two years of a graduate program in Social Work, after completing their college studies.

Life can change in a second
Social Workers are here to help

Oncology Social Workers are trained in how to help people deal with the many life changes that can result from having a chronic disease like cancer. Our Social Work team can help you with:

• Distress in response to diagnosis and treatment
• Difficulty in talking together as a family about how to deal with cancer
• Counseling for you, your family and/or caregivers
• Talking to children about a parent’s cancer
• Impact of cancer on work, school, and finances
• Managing the physical and emotional side effects of treatment such as hair loss, fatigue, depression, anxiety, etc.
• Coping with advanced cancer, facing uncertainty, survivorship issues
• Worsening prognosis and end of life discussions
• Communicating with doctors, nurses and other medical care providers
• Helping with advance health care directives such as a living will and medical power of attorney
• Help with discharge planning if you are hospitalized
• Navigating the healthcare system
• Medication assistance programs
• Determining if a support group would be helpful to you or your family
• Finding supportive resources in your local community
• Finding transportation to and from the hospital for treatment

Social Work services are free and confidential. Please call Social Work Services at 215-728-2668 for assistance and/or information. 

Social Work Team

		Anjali Albanese, MSW, LSW   Social Worker 215-728-2669 Anjali.Albanese@fccc.edu
		Sheila Amrhein, MSW, LCSW Social Worker 215-728-2853 Sheila.Amrhein@fccc.edu
		Florence Bender, BSW Social Worker 215-728-2617 Florence.Bender@fccc.edu
		Lisa Etkins, MSS, LCSW, OSW-C Social Worker 215-728-2666 Lisa.Etkins@fccc.edu
		Susan Haney, MSW, LCSW Social Worker 215-728-2672 Susan.Haney@fccc.edu
		Mark Itzen, MSW, LCSW Social Worker 215-728-2921 Mark.Itzen@fccc.edu
		Holly Riggs, MSW, LSW Social Worker 215-728-2936 Holly.Riggs@fccc.edu
		JoAnne Rufo, MSW, LSW Social Worker 215-728-3017 JoAnne.Rufo@fccc.edu
		Denise Young, MS, LSW Social Worker 215-728-2670 Denise.Young@fccc.edu