- I'll never forget the date.
March the 13th, 2020.
That was the day I was diagnosed with rectal cancer,
colorectal cancer.
(pensive music)
My name's Joyce Calamese,
and I am originally from Springfield, Ohio.
I've been in Columbus for over 30 years.
I'm 67, I'm a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.
- A certified community health worker
connects the disconnected.
- You're supposed to do that first colonoscopy around 50.
I didn't do my colonoscopy.
I think I was 62 years old.
Once I was diagnosed,
I realized I need to get my team together.
- So, we're in place to be a support base
for the medical system, for social workers,
for other programs,
to make sure that the people that need extra support,
that we're there to give them extra support.
- If we only address the medical needs,
that's about 20% of what a person needs.
The other 80% is everything else;
housing, food, childcare, transportation,
and those are the things that are important
to help to keep people healthy.
- [Joyce Voiceover] The community health worker
could help me with some things
that my family couldn't help me with.
- [Delores Voiceover] And so, the journey of helping her
through has been emotional support, doctor's visits,
advice when she needed advice,
and making sure that she makes her doctor's appointment.
- What do I think of Delores?
Oh, I love Delores.
Yeah, I love Delores.
She's a good person
and I think she has a sincere
want to be in the community.
- I believe the university and the College of Nursing
saw that this was a gap in the care of our patients
and decided to, you know, do a community-based program
where we're bringing in community members
to learn these skills so that they can go out
and help their communities.