When choosing a cancer treatment center, most people focus on technology, survival rates, physician expertise and location. But one critical factor often overlooked is patient support programs—the services and resources that go beyond clinical care to help patients and families navigate the emotional, logistical and practical challenges of treatment.

At the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, we offer excellent cancer treatment options using the latest technology while also putting our patients first. 

What Are Patient Support Services?

Patient support services include everything outside of direct medical treatment that helps patients cope and thrive during their cancer journey.

These include:

• Support groups for patients and caregivers 
• Counseling and social work services
• Transportation and housing assistance
• Financial counseling
• Nutrition guidance
• Art and music therapy programs 
• Quiet spaces for relaxation
• Patient navigation and survivorship care
• Activities that foster community and connection

Why Do They Matter?

Cancer treatment is demanding—physically, emotionally and logistically. Daily radiation sessions for weeks at a time, managing side effects and balancing work or school can feel overwhelming.

Support programs help by:

• Removing barriers to care: Transportation and housing assistance ensure patients can attend every appointment.
• Reducing stress and anxiety: Calm waiting areas, quiet rooms, and creative outlets like art and music provide emotional relief.
• Fostering community: Support groups and social activities help patients feel less isolated and more connected.
• Improving adherence and outcomes: When patients feel supported, they’re more likely to stick to treatment plans.
• Enhancing quality of life: Holistic care addresses emotional, psychological and practical needs, improving overall well-being and survivorship.

How the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute Supports Patients 

At the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, patient support is woven into the care experience. Programs include:

• Nurse practitioners guiding patients through cancer survivorship
  • At the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, we have a dedicated team of nurse practitioners who specialize in providing post-treatment care for specific cancer sites. Teena Burchianti, MSN, APRN, ANP-BC, OCN, specializes in assisting patients who have completed breast and gynecologic cancer treatments, while Jacey Herbert, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, OCN, sees patients who have undergone cancer treatment for prostate cancer, lymphoma and breast cancer, and Kerri Copeland Jarrell, APRN, specializes in assisting patients who have survived prostate cancer.
• Orientation tours and patient navigation services
  • Tours of a cancer treatment facility provide patients and their families, often a caregiver, the opportunity to see equipment used for treatment and ask treatment-related questions. Patients also comment that it makes them feel more comfortable in the facility once treatment begins since they’re familiar with the place and people.
• Support groups and social activities like “The Lunch Bunch” and destination lunches
  • Barb Hart, the wife of a patient receiving treatment for esophageal cancer, talks about the importance of the lunches and other social activities: “What makes (the Institute) different? There’s a level of caring that goes beyond what happens in the treatment or exam rooms. There is an expectation that every single person at Florida Proton is pulling for both the patient and the caregiver and it slowly dawned on me that every single patient and caregiver we met felt they were all receiving special treatment, and we were. We were noticed. We may be part of a club that no one wants to join, but at Florida Proton, that club is a team with a common goal.” Read more from Barb here.
• Arts in Medicine and meditative music programs
  • We are proud to partner with the local Art With A Heart in Healthcare organization and the local Streams of Sound handpan musicians. Read more about how our former child life specialist used music in easing anxiety in pediatric patients.
• Housing and transportation resources
  • Providing a list of housing options takes one logistical thing off the checklist when you’re making a cancer treatment plan (but finding housing where there are other couples or families also receiving treatment in Jacksonville, Fla. at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute) can also provide emotional support. Here is an excerpt from a survivor spotlight about a family that temporarily moved to the city from Canada: 

Zane and his loved ones lived at Third & Main and met two other families who had young adults in treatment at the Institute. Leigh (Zane’s mother) says the network of caregivers in the proton community was most helpful in getting her through the hard days. She met other families and patients at the Institute who she has maintained a connection with in the four years since Zane completed treatment.

• Financial counseling
  • Quite often, patients and families members are just as stressed about the cost of healthcare as they are about the treatment. Our organization has authorization specialists who will work with you and your insurance to clarify coverages and explain your payment options.
• Social Services
  • Before, during and even after care, patients may need additional support from a social worker. These professionals understand the extra support both financially, emotionally and spiritually that the community provides to patients diagnosed with cancer.
• Ambassador Program connecting new patients with those who’ve completed treatment
  • The Ambassador Program is a great place for alumni of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute to stay connected, but the people in the program also encourage others to learn more about proton therapy for cancer treatment. Chris Helme is a regular participant in The Villages’ prostate cancer support group meetings and recommended his friend Toni Renna to seek out proton therapy for lung cancer. Read more about the Renna’s and Helme’s friendship and how Chris’s involvement in Ambassador Program changed Toni’s life.
• Partnerships with local organizations for recreation and wellness
  • Many patients treated at the Institute create life-long friendships on the pickle ball court or golf course. Many of our patients say including exercise and other activities, like visits to local museums, helps them keep a sense of routine and wellness during cancer treatments. Exercise is also recommended for some cancer patients to help with stress, anxiety and general wellbeing. The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute has discounts available to many Jacksonville, Fla. golf courses and other offerings.
• Quiet spaces for relaxation and a children’s playroom for pediatric patients
  • At the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, adults can relax in the  Walter and Yvonne Wood Resting Room where the walls and art are soothing and there is also soft music, warm blankets and a hospitality station. For the children, the pediatric playroom recently got a technological and therapeutic upgrade that includes educational and sensory software to occupy young patients. The giant touchscreen offers sensory therapy treatment through play. Read more about how the Institute is offering respite for all its patients.

These services create a sense of normalcy, reduce stress and help patients focus on healing. Cancer treatment isn’t just about fighting disease—it’s about supporting the whole person undergoing treatment and their support network.

Learn more about the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute’s patient support services now.