The Wellness Community (TWC) is an international,
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that provides support and education to people with
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
and those who care for them. It was founded in
Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to i ...
in 1982 by Harold Benjamin, his wife Harriet Benjamin
and Shannon McGowan. In addition to providing support groups, education and other programs, TWC conducts research to quantify and document the benefits of
psychosocial
The psychosocial approach looks at individuals in the context of the combined influence that psychological factors and the surrounding social environment have on their physical and mental wellness and their ability to function. This approach is ...
support for people with cancer. Research is done in collaboration with Catholic University,
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (colloquially MD Anderson Cancer Center) is a comprehensive cancer center in Houston, Texas. It is the largest cancer center in the U.S. and one of the original three comprehensive cancer centers ...
,
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
, Stanford University,
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...
, and
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It con ...
. In 2009, it merged with Gilda's Club to form the Cancer Support Community.
References
* The Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal, Laura Landro "Cancer Patients Find Support" Wednesday, November 27, 2007.
* Institute of Medicine, "Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting the Psychosocial Needs" http://www.iom.edu/?id=47228
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wellness Community
Cancer organizations based in the United States
Medical and health organizations based in California