ZERO and Us TOO: A Patient-Centric Powerhouse September 20, 2021 In my head, the two organizations have been merged for years. The words of one of the most ardent supporters of both ZERO and Us TOO about our plans to join forces this fall summed it up the best.Our goal is to get prostate cancer patients and their families to think this way too. Creating a patient-centric powerhouse is for you! If you’re one of the more than three million American men living with prostate cancer or care for someone who is living with prostate cancer, you can find all the support and ways to take action to help fight prostate cancer within one organization.Here are three ways you can expand your involvement as we take more deliberate strides together toward saving lives from a disease that kills a man every 15 minutes. Become a Support Group Leader: When it comes to fighting prostate cancer, having each other’s back is absolutely critical. That’s why we’re dramatically expanding support groups and how to access them. This includes bringing more support groups to inner cities, rural areas, virtual environments, as well as meetings to more communities of color, veterans, gay men, and those who are hearing impaired. Can we count you in to learn more about being an Us TOO support group leader? Learn more about being a support group leader here.Let your voice be heard as an Advocate: The merger creates the largest organized universe of patient cancer advocates. Ending prostate cancer and stopping the pain and suffering from the disease takes advances in research and improved access to care through grassroots action. We host hundreds at our annual ZERO Prostate Cancer Summit as well as advocacy webinars and training sessions. Will you raise your voice for you and others to make the fight against prostate cancer a national priority? Learn more here advocating here.Donate!: With your help, we reach hundreds of thousands of patients and men at risk every year and tap into communities at increased risk. Further, about 40 percent of cancer patients skip treatments or quit them entirely because of financial barriers. Our ZERO360 Patient Navigator program cuts through insurance red tape and solves financial problems for patients. Every dollar dedicated to the program, puts – on average $6.50 back into patients’ pockets. A donation keeps the men we care about in the fight! Donate now!Written by Jamie Bearse and Marty Chakoian. Jamie Bearse, ZERO’s CEO and PresidentA nonprofit leader and patient advocate for nearly 20 years, Bearse is ZERO’s President & CEO. A thought-leader in health advocacy, nonprofit management, and in people-first organizational culture, Bearse has transformed ZERO into a four-out-of-four-star rated organization by Charity Navigator and one of the 50 best nonprofits to work for by The NonProfit Times in each of the last seven years.Marty Chakoian, Us TOO’s Board Chair, Seattle, WAChakoian leads the Us TOO Seattle support group and serves on two committees of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He’s served as President of the Board of Directors of EarthCorps, an international environmental education and service organization, and is currently Treasurer of the PNA, a Seattle non-profit helping seniors, children, the homeless, and others throughout the northern part of the city. Advocacy Blog Posts Help & Support Living with Prostate Cancer Spreading Awareness More for you
In my head, the two organizations have been merged for years. The words of one of the most ardent supporters of both ZERO and Us TOO about our plans to join forces this fall summed it up the best.Our goal is to get prostate cancer patients and their families to think this way too. Creating a patient-centric powerhouse is for you! If you’re one of the more than three million American men living with prostate cancer or care for someone who is living with prostate cancer, you can find all the support and ways to take action to help fight prostate cancer within one organization.Here are three ways you can expand your involvement as we take more deliberate strides together toward saving lives from a disease that kills a man every 15 minutes. Become a Support Group Leader: When it comes to fighting prostate cancer, having each other’s back is absolutely critical. That’s why we’re dramatically expanding support groups and how to access them. This includes bringing more support groups to inner cities, rural areas, virtual environments, as well as meetings to more communities of color, veterans, gay men, and those who are hearing impaired. Can we count you in to learn more about being an Us TOO support group leader? Learn more about being a support group leader here.Let your voice be heard as an Advocate: The merger creates the largest organized universe of patient cancer advocates. Ending prostate cancer and stopping the pain and suffering from the disease takes advances in research and improved access to care through grassroots action. We host hundreds at our annual ZERO Prostate Cancer Summit as well as advocacy webinars and training sessions. Will you raise your voice for you and others to make the fight against prostate cancer a national priority? Learn more here advocating here.Donate!: With your help, we reach hundreds of thousands of patients and men at risk every year and tap into communities at increased risk. Further, about 40 percent of cancer patients skip treatments or quit them entirely because of financial barriers. Our ZERO360 Patient Navigator program cuts through insurance red tape and solves financial problems for patients. Every dollar dedicated to the program, puts – on average $6.50 back into patients’ pockets. A donation keeps the men we care about in the fight! Donate now!Written by Jamie Bearse and Marty Chakoian. Jamie Bearse, ZERO’s CEO and PresidentA nonprofit leader and patient advocate for nearly 20 years, Bearse is ZERO’s President & CEO. A thought-leader in health advocacy, nonprofit management, and in people-first organizational culture, Bearse has transformed ZERO into a four-out-of-four-star rated organization by Charity Navigator and one of the 50 best nonprofits to work for by The NonProfit Times in each of the last seven years.Marty Chakoian, Us TOO’s Board Chair, Seattle, WAChakoian leads the Us TOO Seattle support group and serves on two committees of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He’s served as President of the Board of Directors of EarthCorps, an international environmental education and service organization, and is currently Treasurer of the PNA, a Seattle non-profit helping seniors, children, the homeless, and others throughout the northern part of the city.
