New Day Foundation for Families, a nonprofit dedicated to providing financial assistance and emotional support to families facing cancer, has announced the addition of Geralyn Roobol, director of cancer services at Corewell Health West’s Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion in Grand Rapids, to the board of directors. The announcement was made by New Day Co-Founder and President Gina Kell Spehn.
“I see the effects of financial toxicity on patients and families every day,” Roobol says. “Having a resource like New Day to alleviate those worries — ‘Am I going to lose my house? What if I lose my job? What will happen to my children?’ — is invaluable. Patients are more fearful of the financial impact of their cancer than they are about surviving the disease.”
Roobol has been with the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion since it opened in 2008, developing the oncology nurse navigator program, which now employs 11 nurse navigators. She also has successfully obtained funding to support the start-up of supportive services for oncology patients. Those programs include art, music, and massage therapy; yoga; oncology social work; financial navigation; and a number of support groups.
