Cancer Services Directory 2015
Our committee is currently putting together material for this year’s edition of our Southern Highlands Directory. This time our focus is on cancer within families. A big change from previous years will see the booklet combined with the Southern Highlands Health Guide to make a super-sized health issue for 2015. Publication date will be Wednesday, March 25th with your free copy available in that day’s Southern Highland News. If you provide a service for cancer patients or carers and you would like to be given a free listing for the very first time, or if you wish to make an alteration to your current listing in the cancer directory, please get in touch with me. Contact details are below. To place an advertisement in the new bumper booklet, contact the News sales staff on 4861 2333.Can Assist success
Just in case you missed our note in the December blog on this website, the final fundraising result from Can Assist’s ‘Venice Carnivale’ was $10,077 – a wonderful tribute to the organisers and to the tremendous community support they received.Pictured below are more scenes from the spectacular evening. Further excellent photos taken by Hamish Ta-me can be viewed on the website of Southern Highland News.


I can report that this new support group will definitely be continuing in 2015. The group, which caters for Southern Highlands patients with various forms of leukaemia, commenced meetings late last year. Those who are interested in the group or would like more information are asked to telephone Emily Barry at the Leukaemia Foundation on 4222 0602.
Vision for Change, 2015
• More palliative care services – many people in NSW who need specialist palliative care don’t receive it, especially if they live in a regional or rural area
• Reform of tobacco retailing – some regulation of the selling of tobacco will support people who are trying to quit and encourage young people to live smoke free
• Co-ordinated cancer care – Local Health Districts can support cancer patients by providing assistance with co-ordinating appointments and managing the overall care program
• Increased Aboriginal workforce in cancer services – making sure that when Aboriginal people go to a cancer service they are cared for by an Aboriginal person
• No chemotherapy co-payments – eliminating the discrepancy where some public hospital patients are charged a chemo co-payment while others are not.
World Cancer Day, February 4th
With a theme of 'Together it is possible’, this year's World Cancer Day is about everyone doing their bit to tackle cancer issues. The particular focus on the global goal of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by 25% by 2025 makes World Cancer Day a platform for supporting both prevention and treatment. We know that understanding and responding to the full impact of cancer on emotional, mental and physical wellbeing will maximise the quality of life for patients, their families and carers. As the tagline for this world event says, it is “not beyond us”.
Coming Events
• February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Hold an “afternoon teal” in February to support Ovarian Cancer Australia. Their website is : https://ovariancancer.net.au/
• Teal Ribbon Day, fundraising for ovarian cancer programs, is on Feb. 25th
• World Cancer Day will be on Wednesday, February 4th.
• Can Assist meeting, Thurs. Feb. 12th, 10am at the old Bowral Hospital
• Hold an Iced Tea Party for lymphoedema research, Jan. 12 to March 20. All details on the website : http://www.icedteaparty.com.au/
Grahame Hackett (Chair, SHCLC)
0407 234 780 or info@sh-cancerconnect.com.au
-------------------------------------------------