Parotid Patient Project Seeks to Elevate Patients Voices to Determine the Success of Patient Care and Outcomes After Surgery

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, April 12, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Whenever the word “tumor” is brought up, most minds shift to mainstream conditions that receive the attention, resources, and funding to back their cause. For less common conditions, fewer resources exist to guide patients through the process, providing a trusted education and support. For Heidi Semann the diagnosis of this rare salivary gland tumor came as a complete shock. Feeling determined to rise above her diagnosis, she began digging for information on her rare condition. To her disappointment, Heidi discovered that there was a limited amount of education and support-based tools for parotid patients trying to navigate their new normal. Eager to make a difference, Heidi created the Parotid Patient Project to help provide parotid information, resources, and support.

Fast forward a year from its founding, the Parotid Patient Project is proud to announce its $15,000.00 grant award to Mayo Clinic to complete a patient-centered study to explore quality of life values of various surgical and functional outcomes and take into consideration the outcomes that patients value the most after surgery. This will evaluate different scenarios in the patient care system to determine which have the greatest impact on patient quality of life and attempt to develop a comprehensive patient-centered outcome measure after parotidectomy. Mayo Clinic and Parotid Patient Project are determined to give patients a voice through this study, allowing them the power to contribute to future care possibilities.

Patients of any cancer or illness, no matter how rare or unheard of, need a solid team by their side; something Heidi knows first-hand. The power of support is tangible and can make a world’s difference in improving a patient’s fight and quality of life. Parotid Patient Project has fought vigorously to fill that void in the last year by, publishing helpful support materials, and harnessing financial support to create meaningful change.

“It is my sincere hope that we have created a website where those patients who feel lost and alone in this process can find information and support. I want patients to know that the Parotid Patient Project is here with them every step of the way and that we are going to do everything that we can to raise awareness and to raise funds for much-needed medical research. I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by talented and dedicated people, who believe in this cause as much as I do, and who have helped me build this organization from the ground up.”
- Heidi Semann, Founder & Patient

Through proof of concept, dedication to patient education and support, funding of research projects, and unwavering commitment to elevating the voices and concerns of parotid patients everywhere; the Parotid Patient Project’s purpose-driven vision has come to fruition.

To learn more about the Parotid Patient Project, please visit: https://parotidpatientproject.org/



About Parotid Patient Project

The Parotid Patient Project is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization founded by Executive Director, Heidi Semann, who was diagnosed with a parotid gland tumor in 2016. While researching this condition, Heidi realized that there was a limited amount of information about this condition available on the Internet, and the available information was outdated and focused on all of the potential negative outcomes. After undergoing surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Heidi became a passionate advocate for parotid patients and volunteered her time to work on several projects, including an informational video series at the Mayo Clinic, with her Head and Neck Surgeon. Heidi created the Parotid Patient Project to help educate patients and physicians about this condition, advocate for and support parotid patients through this process, and raise funds for much-needed medical research.



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Heidi Semann
Parotid Patient Project
administration@parotidpatientproject.org
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