Ambassador Program

It’s not uncommon for patients who have completed their treatment program and are satisfied with their experience to say, I want to give back. What can I do to help others who have been diagnosed with cancer and are looking for information? It was with this patient initiative that the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute began our Ambassador program approximately 10 years ago.

Currently, we have close to 500 alumni patients who provide their name and contact information so prospective patients can contact them directly and ask questions. These teams of former patients are not medical professionals offering medical information but are able to share why they chose proton therapy versus other treatment options, why they chose the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute and also share their experience with the level of care received at the Institute. Once a patient signs a release allowing us to share their name, it is included with our packet of materials sent out to inquiring individuals upon their request.

We would like to expand our Ambassador program to include spouses and caregivers. While cancer always impacts the whole family, prostate cancer is considered to be a couple’s disease. The wives who spend multiple weeks in Jacksonville at our Institute alongside their husbands going through treatment become experts in their own right when it comes to what it’s like to be the caregiver and support for their loved one.

If you are a spouse interested in helping other spouses and caregivers as they travel though this journey, please contact Lisa Ward, 904-588-1412 or lward@floridaproton.org, who can answer your questions and help you get started.

We are extremely grateful for our Ambassadors who eagerly volunteer to speak with prospective patients honestly and from the heart. We know this program has helped hundreds who are working their way through the multitude of decisions they will need to make following the diagnosis of cancer.