New two-part campaign reiterates the Karmanos Advantage, encourages cancer patients to advocate for their health by getting a second opinion, and uses real cancer survivors sharing their Karmanos journey
From the patients served by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Institute to the businesses and organizations that Karmanos patients support, Karmanos has launched a new brand campaign. Michigan residents will be immersed in the stories of Karmanos cancer survivors, who share their journeys at staple businesses in the community, providing new imagery, radio spots, billboards, print, and digital advertisements.
Six stories are presented in the latest phase of this marketing campaign. Patients, a physician and staff members highlight their incredible stories through metaphors and imagery, showcasing their hobbies, smiles, and their own experiences of the Karmanos Advantage. The survivors and care team members in this campaign are the people you see at local grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and every place in between as you move throughout your day. These are individuals whose lives have been touched by the caring staff at a Karmanos facility.
With multiple locations across Michigan and Ohio, Karmanos is committed not only to delivering outstanding cancer care but also to the community. From community education and outreach events put on by Karmanos’ Office of Community Outreach and Engagement; to the organization’s supportive oncology services, which include integrative therapies, counseling and support groups; to community cancer screening events put on by the screening and prevention team, to the individual passions that Karmanos oncologists have in spreading awareness and education throughout communities across the state; and so much more, Karmanos is embedded and committed to the communities it serves.
Take a look at some of the businesses and organizations highlighted by this campaign across the state, as well as the stories shared by Karmanos patients and staff.
Winning the Fight After Having to Jump in the Game
Comerica Park – Detroit
The Detroit Tigers are a devoted partner of Karmanos and McLaren Health Care, collaborating on annual cancer awareness games. With their strong commitment to educating fans about cancer, they agreed to provide the backdrop for one of the videos.
This is where Kim Harrison got to tell her story. The Allen Park resident was the cheerleader of her family, but suddenly, she had to put attending her kids' sporting events on pause. Harrison was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare type of blood cancer that causes blood-forming cells in the bone marrow to become damaged, abnormal or defective.
Her journey started with chemotherapy treatments, but eventually she needed a bone marrow stem cell transplant. Her doctor recommended she come to Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit. This is where she met Lois Ayash, M.D., transplant hematologist and member of the Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplant Multidisciplinary Team (MDT).
“I knew immediately that this was the place for me. She was very comforting, confident and thorough,” explained Harrison. “The thing I liked most about Karmanos is that they made me feel comfortable, they explained everything in detail to the point where I was like, ‘Let’s go! Let’s get on this transplant.’”
Her transplant was over 11 years ago, and she’s been doing well.
“Karmanos did amazing with me,” she said, looking out at the field at Comerica Park. “Eleven years later, I still get the best seat.”
Read more about Harrison’s story here.
Fighting Cancer with the Right Note at Karmanos
Michigan State University’s Community Music School - East Lansing
Okemos resident Jaimie Hutchison entrusted her care to the team at Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing. She’s also the associate director of Engagement for Health Promotion, Engagement, Accessibility, and Accommodations at Michigan State University’s (MSU) WorkLife Office, so she naturally became a fierce advocate for routine cancer screenings after her diagnosis of HER-2 positive breast cancer.
MSU fits perfectly as the location of Hutchison’s story, especially with McLaren Greater Lansing’s partnership with MSU Health Care. Hutchison also has a passion for singing and is a member of a local women’s chorus.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she postponed her mammogram, a common practice among people at that time for most of their health and wellness visits. When she finally got in for her breast cancer screening, she learned she had cancer.
“Going in to get that screening is what ultimately saved my life,” Hutchson explained.
After her cancer diagnosis at Karmanos, friends and family encouraged her to get a second opinion, but she ended up coming back for her care.
“I knew that Karmanos was the place that I wanted to go because of the relationships I had already made with the nurse navigator and talking with the person who would be my main oncologist.”
That was Daniel Isaac, D.O., MS, hematologist and medical oncologist at Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing and MSU Health Care, and member of the Breast Cancer MDT.
Hutchison showcased a pitch pipe and explained how we sometimes must pivot from singing in one key to singing in another. Hutchison used that as a metaphor for life’s pivots, especially when it comes to cancer.
“That’s a lot like what you go through in treatment,” as she concluded the video in the MSU Community Music School. “Even through the adjustments, you can still find your note.”
The MSU Community Music School offers music education and music therapy to people of all ages in the local community.
“We said yes to this opportunity with Karmanos because we believe deeply in the power of partnerships that promote healing, wellness and access to care,” shared Jaime Demott, director of MSU Community Music School.
“Music and medicine share common ground in their ability to support the whole person, and we were inspired by the chance to uplift both our missions through this collaboration. Karmanos has a reputation for outstanding cancer care and research. It’s an honor to connect through this initiative and highlight the role that music and community can play in supporting patients and families.”
Read more about Hutchison’s cancer journey here.
Their Own Journeys with Cancer: Having a Care Team That Understands
Clark’s Greenhouse and Garden Center – Flushing Township
Angela Gushow, RN, OCN, has been an oncology nurse at Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Bay Region for over 23 years. She also lives about 10 miles west in the nearby town of Auburn. As a young mom, not even at the age that average-risk women are supposed to begin getting mammograms, she found a lump. She eventually brought it up to her gynecologist, who ensured Gushow got a mammogram and ultrasound. After a lumpectomy and bilateral mastectomy at Karmanos and McLaren, she is celebrating over 11 years cancer-free. Her diagnosis and cancer journey have impacted her work as an oncology nurse.
“It feels good to be able to offer them hope and understanding, being there to answer their questions and just listen when they want to talk about what they are going through. I see some of my patients several times a week. They come in as strangers, and they leave as friends.”
In her video, she shared her journey and why she enjoys working at Karmanos, as she embraces the colorful, blossoming flowers at Clark’s Greenhouse and Garden Center in Flushing Township.
“Clark's Greenhouse and nursery is a family-owned small business that strives to make its customers feel like family. In the past, they’ve hosted family events for Mother's and Father's Day, a fall festival and many workshops and classes. They supply the flowers to the women's club downtown that now line the main street, and are a staple in the many town parades,” said Kari Fulton, nursery manager at Clark’s Greenhouse and Garden Center. “Customers from the community and surrounding areas know they can go to Clark’s for healthy, beautiful plants and friendly, knowledgeable associates.”
“When we were approached to use our nursery for the shoot, we were thrilled. Everyone here has been touched by cancer and knowing that we can be a part of someone's healing journey is something that we couldn't pass up. We believe strongly that having your hands in the dirt and being surrounded by nature's beauty can go a long way to improving your mood and health. I am familiar with Karmanos as I have both a friend and a relative who have been patients of the cancer center.” Fulton said.
“At Karmanos, we see patients from all over,” explained Gushow as she reflected on her job. “It gives you a sense of pride to know that you’re helping people in your community, knowing that they can get the same care they would in the big cities, right here in Bay County.”
Read more about Gushow’s story here.
Continual Research and Discovery to Fight Cancer
University Liggett School - Grosse Pointe Woods
A leader in his field, Nitin Vaishampayan, M.D., radiation oncologist, interim leader of the Genitourinary Oncology Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), member of the Breast Cancer and Gastrointestinal and Neuroendocrine Oncology MDTs at Karmanos, and associated professor of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, is dedicated to the patients he serves, battling blood, breast, lung, and genitourinary cancers. As the medical director of Radiopharmaceutical Services, his specialty is theranostics, a form of personalized medicine that utilizes radiation compounds to both diagnose and treat cancer. His research and clinical study interests involve discovering new standards of care that target tumors at the cellular level, thereby reducing radiation exposure to normal, healthy tissue and minimizing side effects. He has co-investigated nationwide trials that have led to the FDA approval of new radiopharmaceuticals, providing patients at Karmanos with access to these promising therapies before they become available at other cancer centers.
In his video, Dr. Vaishampayan discusses the importance of cancer patients obtaining second opinions and how it enables patients and their families to understand and be comfortable with their treatment choices.
“I am always happy to meet with patients who come to see me for a second opinion. They have come from other parts of the community or state,” he said. “The team approach at Karmanos involves having robust tumor boards and multidisciplinary clinics where we can review cases that are complex and have different specialists talk about different treatment options.”
In his video, Dr. Vaishampayan is seen at the University Ligget School (ULS) in Grosse Pointe Woods. In many of the shots, he is seen working out a physics equation, which he and the physics team often have to do when determining a patient’s dose for treatment.
ULS is the oldest independent college preparatory school in Michigan, educating children from early childhood to 12th grade.
“It is a community committed to excellence in teaching and learning through The Liggett Approach that is grounded in a spirit of discovery, and where today’s learners become tomorrow’s leaders. Our alumni have won Pulitzer Prizes, Tony and Emmy awards, medaled in the Olympics, and been lauded in a myriad of other ways. Sixty different ZIP codes make up our student body, 90% of students matriculate to their top-choice school and there is a 1:8 faculty to student ratio,” said O’Neal Turner, director of Enrollment Management at the ULS.
“Supporting Karmanos Cancer Institute in this collaboration was an honor. As leaders in the fight against cancer and headquartered in Detroit, we are proud that the incredible facilities at ULS could be showcased as part of their materials,” said Turner.
Find the Right Tools at Karmanos
POST Detroit (Mutual Adoration) – Detroit
Terrell Thomas has always had a positive outlook on life. After hearing what one of his students was going through, he decided to get his prostate checked, which led to his diagnosis of prostate cancer. Wanting to understand all his treatment options, Thomas made a second opinion appointment at Karmanos, where he was provided with several additional options than he had initially received. It was the option of radiation treatment with Dr. Vaishampayan, which eventually led to a bond forming between patient and doctor. Thomas did not skip a beat in either his personal or professional life while undergoing treatment. Now, he takes opportunities to educate men about prostate cancer and encourage them to get screened.
POST Detroit has all the tools someone needs to create an idea from conception to completion. In Thomas’ video, sitting in the middle of one of the workshops, he described how you can examine the tools you have to put something together and complete the project.
“Same thing with cancer,” connected Thomas.
He went on to describe the tools he found at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit when he came for his second opinion.
“With the right tools, you can make a great picture frame. With the right treatment plan, you can be in it,” he said as he smiled with the picture frame cropping his head inside.
Located in Detroit, POST is a shop filled with handmade goods, craft workshops and a cafe. According to the owner, it has become an integral part of the local community by fostering creativity and providing a positive, vibrant space for artistic expression. They strive to be a hub where individuals can connect, learn and be inspired, ultimately enriching the cultural fabric of the local neighborhood and Detroit as a whole.
“Since opening in 2017, POST has cemented its place in the community through consistent engagement with local artists, hosting diverse events and offering accessible creative resources. Our commitment to supporting local talent, sharing our skills and knowledge through workshops and classes, and providing a welcoming, supportive environment has our customers coming back again and again,” said Clare Fox, owner of POST Detroit.
“We were motivated to say yes to this filming request because of Karmanos Cancer Institute's reputation and its vital work in the community. We were familiar with Karmanos prior to this collaboration through its recognition as a leading cancer research and treatment center in Detroit,” said Fox.
Read more about Terrell’s story here.
How Patients Can Focus on Healing
GP Zoology - Grosse Pointe Woods
“My job is to be in the center of your circle to make sure you are with the right specialist,” said Sophia Logan, oncology patient navigator who works with patients at Karmanos Cancer Institute’s four metro Detroit locations. She’s shown at the GP Zoology in Grosse Pointe Woods.
Donnie Cook, owner of GP Zoology, and his wife decided they wanted to offer not only a specific space for exotic rescue animals they’ve taken in over the years, but also an opportunity to enrich the community. It eventually evolved into a mission to help kids disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with nature.
“Being around animals is very therapeutic because we’re connected to them. It’s a sensory release. When we stop and slow down, it slows our heart rate down. Watching an aquarium, for instance, lowers our heart rate and slows down our mind,” said Cook.
In a way, slowing down heart rates and slowing down minds is a skill that oncology patient navigators at Karmanos unknowingly possess.
“Sometimes cancer feels like a big, massive animal with a life of its own. But don’t worry, we can help guide it,” said Logan.
“We work directly with our specialists, nurses and team to make sure that you have an understanding of what your next steps are. All of these tasks are responsibilities that oncology patient navigators typically undertake. We want you to breathe in between and focus on healing.”
When Karmanos reached out to GP Zoology, the collaboration was a no-brainer.
“We want to use our energy and resources to help people. I think it’s important to slow down and smell the flowers. Enjoy life because every day is a gift. Take it slowly and enjoy not only nature, but the people around you,” said Cook.
“You’re not a number when you come to Karmanos, and we don’t want you to fall through the cracks. We’re not going to give up on you,” Logan concluded.
Karmanos in the Community
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is headquartered in Detroit. Designated as a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karmanos has network locations throughout Michigan and Northern Ohio. Over 14,000 new patients from 46 Michigan counties and beyond receive care at one of Karmanos’ 18 locations:
The Institute’s reach provides residents and their families with access to unique treatments, clinical trials, and new therapy discoveries that are not yet available at other cancer and medical centers. The multitude of treatment options at Karmanos gives patients and their families more options and hope.
Thank you to all the businesses that collaborated with Karmanos to help tell these amazing cancer journeys. It is due to their generosity and charitableness within their neighborhoods that the messages shared were shown in ways that resonate with Michigan residents and cancer survivors everywhere.
For more information, visit karmanos.org/forward.