Woman to Woman is a gynecologic cancer support program offered by the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Newly diagnosed gynecologic cancer patients undergoing treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia can participate in Woman to Woman free of charge. They are paired with survivor volunteers for one-on-one emotional support and guidance under the premise of "to know the road ahead, ask those coming back."
Survivor volunteers are matched with newly diagnosed patients based on cancer type, language, and age. These volunteers are disease free for at least two years and are professionally trained and supervised by our Woman to Woman Program Coordinators.
All participants are given the "Gynecologic Cancer Information Guide," a comprehensive booklet provided by The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (ORCF) complete with information and resources as well as a special section for partners and other caregivers.
Woman to Woman was founded by Valerie Goldfein, an ovarian cancer survivor, in 2003 at Mount Sinai Hospital. After diagnosis, Ms. Goldfein wanted to learn more about her disease and recognized the importance of connecting with those who had experienced it first-hand.
Soon after completing treatment and with her cancer in remission, Ms. Goldfein created Woman to Woman to help women and their families cope with gynecologic cancer. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (ORCF) helped fund this program in 2005 and expanded it nationally in 2011 with the support of QVC which is the national sponsor of the program. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia was chosen as the first pilot program.
For more information about our Woman to Woman program, please contact our program coordinators, at (212) 305-3410. Woman to Woman is funded by ORCF and generous patient support.