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While being diagnosed with cancer alone can put a person under tremendous amounts of mental and emotional stress, the additional burden of outrageously expensive medical care only adds to the strain. Cancer treatment requires more than medicine — families need a roof over their heads and food on their tables to survive. The dramatic rise in the cost of cancer treatments has now given rise to what is being called financial toxicity.

On this episode, Liz Geisel, Director of Program Delivery for Family Reach, discusses the psychological stress related to financial toxicity and the role of Financial Navigators who help families discuss their concerns and guide them to community resources.

About our Guest, Elizabeth Geisel, MSW

Elizabeth Geisel, MSW, is the Director of Program Delivery for Family Reach, where she leads trauma-informed trainings and oversees the team responsible for providing financial support to families facing cancer. Elizabeth has dedicated the last twenty years to the field of social work, specializing in healthcare, mental health, and substance abuse. Her clinical approach focuses on trauma-informed practices, harm reduction, and building collaborative partnerships with patients. Before Family Reach, she worked at several leading Boston-based healthcare organizations, including the Sidney Borum Health Center (now part of Fenway Health), the Institute for Health and Recovery, and Boston Medical Center.