The Logistics of Treatment

by Beth Johnson

Photo courtesy Shutterstock

The Patient Assistance Center brings personalized support to help you fit cancer care into your life

You’ve got your cancer treatment plan and it looks great on paper. Now, how to put that plan into action? Just as every patient’s cancer diagnosis is unique, so are the details of your daily life around which to build a treatment plan that works for you.

Personal concerns like transportation, paying for prescriptions and lodging in Ann Arbor are just a few of these logistical details many patients think about.

At Rogel, the Patient Assistance Center is one resource to help put your unique treatment plan into action, especially when costs become a concern.

“Cancer treatment moves fast,” says Veronique Mosby-Zinn, LBSW, an oncology social worker at the PAC. “Patients are often overwhelmed by the details of everything needed. We help simplify the small steps in the process and connect them to resources and solutions.”

Other logistics of cancer treatment include:

• Scheduling the necessary appointments
• Navigating the Rogel Cancer Center
• Balancing treatment with other priorities like work, child care or family
• Keeping relationships healthy during a stressful time

The PAC team of social workers helps patients with details along their journey, from the specifics of paperwork to finding parking passes to how to pay for gas, and more. The team can help assess if you can find treatment close to home or how to use our wig bank if you lose your hair.

Stacy Ryder, LLBSW, explains the PAC is part of the “wraparound support” Rogel has in place to listen to each patient’s barriers to care, from the moment they arrive and complete the Partners in Care questionnaire. “Social work support is available to all patients throughout the treatment journey. The PAC team works in partnership with other cancer center resources, such as patient navigators and the social workers in your clinic. These problem-solvers are here to help with any obstacles—logistical or otherwise—that might keep you from getting treatment.”

Common logistical concerns for patients

• Transportation (Rides, travel costs, gas)
• Lodging
• Prescription copays
• Finding resources in your community
• Finding a wig
• Connecting to the right Rogel Cancer Center resource for your need

Connect with the PAC

• Ask your doctor for a referral or call 734-232-2208
• PAC social workers are available 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

Meet the PAC team

• Veronique Mosby-Zinn, LBSW
• Stacy Ryder, LLBSW

Other helpful numbers

• Patient Financial Counselors: 877-326-9155 (for health insurance concerns)
• Michigan Medicine Lodging: 734-936-0100 (to help coordinate overnight lodging for your visit)

Continue reading Spring 2025 issue of Thrive. Or, download and print the issue.