Charlestown Resident and MGH Senior Vice President Attend Friends of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center Annual Spring Luncheon

The Friends of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center – a group of active volunteers who raise funds to bridge exceptional medical and supportive cancer care through innovative programs that promote whole-person healing – recently celebrated their annual Spring Luncheon, which drew a crowd of nearly 400 in support of the Cancer Center.

The event included a reception, luncheon and remarks from Friends of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center President Remy Stressenger, 2014 Spring Luncheon Co-Chairs and Board members Beth Campanella and Nancy Hovey, Mass General Cancer Center Clinical Director David P. Ryan, MD, Mass General Cancer Center patient Laura Allen and special guest Robin Cook, MD.  A distinguished physician and New York Times Bestselling Author, Cook has penned 33 bestsellers and is widely credited with introducing the word “medical” to the thriller genre.

Since 1984, the Friends of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center— one of the most highly regarded research and patient care institutes in the nation— have worked to help fund diverse services that complement the center’s 24 fully integrated, multidisciplinary clinical programs.  The funds raised today will help support the Katherine A. Gallagher Integrative Therapies Program, providing massage therapy, acupuncture, music therapy and other services; Maxwell V. Blum Cancer Resource Room, a comfortable place for patients and their families to find medical information and resources; The Network for Patients and Families, a peer support program for patients, families and friends; The Financial Assistance Fund for Patients and Families, which serves as a resource for families struggling with the financial burdens of cancer; and, The Howard Ulfelder, MD, Healing Garden, a peaceful rooftop garden for quiet reflection.

Dr. Ryan commented, “All of the programs the Friends support are loved by our patients in the Cancer Center.  Our annual luncheon is a wonderful way to celebrate these programs while helping to sustain them in the future.”