Duke's Cancer Patient Education program provides information throughout the cancer patient's journey on prevention, early detection, disease-specific cancers, treatments, side effects, research and clinical trials, complementary therapies, support, coping, emotional care, children’s concerns, and end-of-life care.

Our Patient and Family Resource Center (PFRC) is a lending library and resource center with books, video and audio tapes, periodicals, brochures, magazines, and other written information. The PFRC is staffed by volunteers who respond to walk-in and telephone requests from patients and families, help locate books and brochures, conduct online literature searches, give directions, assemble patient notebooks, and provide an overview of the center.

Our goal is to help patients and families be well informed about their situation, make informed choices about their treatment, and advocate for his or her self. Volunteers help patients and families cope by providing optimal customer service and nonjudgmental information.

Volunteer Requirements

• Application process: Volunteers complete the Duke Medicine Volunteer Application, a background check, two references, confidentiality agreement, and health and drug screening.
• Training: Duke Medicine Volunteer Orientation includes Duke’s mission-values-goals, fire and safety, and confidentiality. Specific volunteer training in the policies and procedures to be followed in the Patient and Family Resource Center will be provided in a separate session.
• Commitment: Four hours a week for a minimum of one year or two semesters.
• Hours: The Patient and Family Resource Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Evening, weekend, and holiday hours are not available.
• Physical requirements: Volunteers should have adequate vision, hearing, speech, and mobility to engage with minimal difficulty; be able to unpack boxes of pamphlets and books; be computer literate; and be fluent in English.
• Dress code: Volunteers should dress in clean, neat clothes suitable for an office environment. No shorts, jeans, warms-up suits, T-shirts with graphics, short skirts, cologne, or perfume. For safety reasons, open toe shoes are not permitted. 

Volunteer Location

Patient and Family Resource Center
Morris Caner Clinic, Room 1968
200 Trent Drive
Durham, NC 27710

Contact

For more information, contact Holly D’Addurno, MLS, Director, Cancer Patient Education at 919-613-6275 or holly.daddurno@duke.edu.