Newsletter May 2019- January 2020
07/02/2020
Press Release
On February 22nd, 2020 the American College of Greece hosted Pamemmazi's 3rd Forum entitled "Integrative Approaches on Cancer Care: Evidence & Strategies."
Pamemmazi was honored to have the opening remarks by the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Vasilis Kontozamanis, the Director of the Institute of Public Health of the American College of Greece, Mr. Panagiotis Behrakis, and the Scientific Director of the Pain Management & Palliative Care Unit of the General Oncology Hospital of Kifissia "oi Agioi Anargyroi" Mrs. Gabriella Laoura Dinka.
Over 200 scientists, doctors, nurses, psychologists, and other health professionals as well as patients, their families and friends of PAMEMMAZI attended the forum and discussed the latest research being done at the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley University regarding complementary therapy programs for palliative care, therapeutic effects of art, and the significance of positive psychology on psychosomatic health, better management of illness, better results, and better quality of life.
The forum hosted Ms. Karen Popkin, M.A., L.C.A.T, MT-BC, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Ms. Jennifer Brown Urban, professor of human development at Montclair State University as well as exceptional Greek scientists from the field of oncology. They emphasized the importance of embedded care and health, as well as the role that various health professionals have, such as that of the pain specialist, stomatologist, psychiatrist, nurse, psychologist, and the importance of complementary therapies such as art therapy, music therapy, therapeutic yoga, and of crafts. The audience was moved especially by the contributions of Mr. Stephanos Xenakis who talked about how much love is shown by PAMEMMAZI towards patients, their families, and the staff of the hospital "oi Agioi Anargyroi" and also by Ms. Pisti Krystallidou's http://wincancer.gr/ account of her experience being the wife of a patient with cancer.
The organizations Κ.Ε.Φ.Ι. (KEFI) and ΠΝΟΗ ΑΓΑΠΗΣ (Pnoi Agapis) which have been involved with oncology care for many years were also presented, as well as exhibitions of therapeutic photography by Eyes of Light, the winning art pieces of the SMOKEFREEGREECE program of the Institute of Public Health of the American College of Greece, and the works of PAMEMMAZI's Art Therapy program at "oi Agioi Anargyroi." The audience showed a great interest in the interactive Music Therapy workshop, https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/mind-body.
Everyone agreed about the importance of having embedded care and the importance of complementary therapies. They also noted the important progress that has been made in Greece in the acceptance of these programs, of the willingness of health professionals to work closer with patients and families, and the destigmatization of cancer in Greek society.
The forum was supported by the U.S. Embassy in Athens, as well as the pharmaceutical companies PHARMASERV LILLY AEBE and Pharma UΝIMEDIS, American Women of Greece and under the auspice of Nursing Association of Greece who offered 4 Nursing continuing education credits, the Hellenic Society of Oral Oncology and the Greek AntiCancer Society .
