Current Beneficiary

The mission of the de Souza Institute is to provide Ontarians with the best cancer care in the world by focusing on developing highly trained, specialized cancer nurses utilizing the latest evidence and approaches to cancer care. The Institute’s rapid success in Ontario has created significant interest elsewhere in Canada with collaborations not only being discussed nationally, but internationally in such countries as Kuwait, Brazil, and the United States. The de Souza Institute, named in memory of Anna Maria, was founded in partnership with Princess Margaret Hospital and Cancer Care Ontario.

In just over three years the Institute’s courses have:

• resulted in a 40% increase in oncology nurses in Ontario who achieved specialty certification in oncology – many of them are on route to becoming a “de Souza Nurse” –an official recognition of advanced oncology nursing knowledge and skills and
• over 4000 nurses have participated in the de Souza Institute's educational programs. As front line practitioners, in regional cancer centres they help ensure that all individuals and families impacted by cancer receive the best support and follow up care.

The funds raised will be directed towards supporting innovative research on new clinically-relevant approaches designed to bring the latest world-class cancer treatments to front line care.

Programs developed will include:

• Methods of latest chemotherapy delivery
• Enhanced nursing support through radiation, prevention and health promotion counseling
• Strategies to improve communication and the provision of emotional support to individuals and families receiving cancer treatments, follow up and palliative care.

The Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) promotes excellence in psychosocial care for people with cancer and their families throughout the cancer experience—from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship or death. While the physical symptoms of cancer are addressed with medical treatment, the emotional impact of the disease is often overlooked. Psychosocial oncology is a specialty in cancer care that is concerned with the whole person. It focuses on the social, psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of cancer through the entire cancer journey. CAPO works to transform cancer care wherever it is delivered—in hospital, in the community and in hospices. CAPO is a recognized international leader in the development of standards and guidelines for supportive quality of life care.

Funding CAPO will improve the course of cancer for millions of Canadians living with cancer:

• Facilitate equal access to psychosocial support services regardless of where a person lives, their age, income or ethnicity.
• Standardized evidence based patient care models focused on reducing emotional and psychological distress.
• Improved psychosocial interventions and programs for individuals with high quality research.
• Implementation of standardized screening for distress throughout the cancer trajectory regardless of where cancer patients receive care
• Education and training for all health care professionals to increase capacity for psychosocial care.
• Raise awareness and expectations for quality psychosocial care.