Support & resources

Annual Reports

Mercy Support Groups

Bereavement Support Group
For individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one
Information: (608) 754-2201

Breast Cancer Support Group
The Breast Cancer Support Group will give you a safe place to express your feelings, fears and anxieties, as well as your experiences, strengths and hopes.
Location: Michael Berry Building, room 2616
Information: (608) 756-6824

2nd and 4th Friday of every month

Cancer Support Group
For individuals affected by cancer and their support person
Location: Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center
Information: (608) 756-6824

Yarn works, knitting love into every stitch | February 13 - June 25

Commit to Quit Support Group
For individuals who seek support in their efforts to quit smoking
Location: Henry Palmer Building, Janesville
Information: (608) 741-2411

Fact Sheets

Mercy Cancer Resource Center

Whether you need reliable information on a particular type of cancer or simply want some privacy when you visit the medical oncology and hematology clinic, you'll find that and more at our Cancer Resource Center, located off the main waiting area in the Mercy Michael Berry Clinic.

Here, you have access to a wealth of information about various types of cancer, nutrition, coping strategies for symptoms and side effects of treatment, communicating with family and work, support groups, and local and national cancer-related resources. You are welcome to take and keep these resources, or return them when you are finished so that others may use them.

The Center also is a place to find refuge on days when you need some privacy, you aren't feeling well, or have low white blood counts and want less interaction with others.

Feel free to enjoy coffee and cookies, and use the computers with free Internet access to check your Mercy MyChart or other websites. The Mercy Cancer Resource Center is open during regular business hours.

Mercy's cancer support services

Mercy MyChart

Battling cancer often means seeing different doctors, having many tests and taking several medications. Mercy MyChart, your online medical record, takes the hassle out of juggling all that information. It's free, it's easy, it's secure and confidential. Best of all, you can check your information any time of the day or night. All you need is an Internet connection. To sign up, visit MyChart.MercyHealthSystem.org.

Mercy Regional Breast Center

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. Regular screening, including monthly breast self-exams, is vital in order to find and treat breast cancer early. The Mercy Regional Breast Center now offers digital diagnostic and screening mammography, plus breast MRI, breast ultrasound, stereotactic breast biopsy, and DEXA bone density testing. For more information, call the Center at (608) 741-6999.

Mercy Women's Boutique

Whether you've had a lumpectomy or a mastectomy, Mercy's certified post-mastectomy fitters at the new Women's Boutique at the Mercy Health Mall in Janesville can enhance your quality of life by helping you find just the right breast forms and bras. They meet with you privately to assess your needs and suggest products for a natural appearance and all-day comfort. The Women's Boutique carries the top brands in breast forms and bras, and also offers breast form covers, bra extenders, swimwear, lingerie, lymphedema sleeves and pumps, turbans, hats, lotions and product cleansers. For appointments and more information, call (608) 755-7989 or toll-free (800) 279-5810.

Mercy Complementary Medicine Center

True health requires a delicate balance of physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. When that balance goes awry—as it often does with cancer—your health may require several forms of medical treatment. That's where complementary medicine's greatest strength lies. As its name implies, it is used as a complement to conventional medicine, and the two together can offer powerful medicine that can restore health.

Whether you choose acupuncture, chiropractic or massage therapy as a complement to your traditional treatment, you'll find the experience and understanding you want at the Mercy Complementary Medicine Center, located inside the Mercy Health Mall, Janesville. While its practitioners work closely with Mercy's doctors, a doctor's referral is not required to make an appointment. For more information, call the Center at (608) 741-6799.

Help for emotional healing

Having cancer means more than treatment for the disease itself. Some individuals struggle with anxiety, depression and other emotional problems that require more than talking with family members or friends. When life seems overwhelming, the mental health therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists at Mercy Options Behavioral Health Services are here to listen and help you heal. For referral information, please call (800) 341-1450.

Journey to Health Exercise Program

This exercise and stress management program is designed to help cancer patients combat the effects of cancer treatment and improve their quality of life. Offered at the Mercy Cardiac Fitness Center at the Mercy Health Mall, Janesville. For complete information, call (608) 755-7996.

Financial counseling

Mercy's oncology patient financial counselor can help you with your concerns about the unexpected costs of treatment and/or lack of insurance coverage. This includes help deciphering forms and referrals to appropriate community resources. For more information, call (608) 756-6500.

Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation

Some cancers may require hospitalization and rehabilitation to address serious side effects caused by treatment. When you are discharged from the hospital, but are not yet ready to return home, the Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (CIR) at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center provides an excellent option. CIR's experienced team of doctors, therapists and rehabilitation nurses design patient-specific treatment plans to help you achieve your greatest level of function and independence. A physician's referral is required to enter the CIR program.

Lymphadema Treatment Program

Cancer treatment that includes radiation therapy or removal of lymph nodes can sometimes lead to lymphedema, a condition characterized by uncontrolled swelling of a limb. If left untreated, the damage caused by lymphedema is irreversible and progressive. Prevention is the key. However, if it does occur, Mercy's Lymphedema Treatment Program can be very effective in helping individuals learn to control their condition and improve their quality of life.

A physician's referral is required to begin therapy. For more information, call the Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in Janesville at (608) 755-7880, or in Lake Geneva (Mercy Walworth Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center) at (262) 245-4980.

Nutrition counseling

According to the American Cancer Society, a third of all cancers are related to diet and activity factors. Maintaining a healthy weight—and thus lowering your risk of getting cancer—is made easier by knowing what to eat. Knowing what to eat is also a concern for those battling cancer. Mercy Health System has several registered dietitians who can help you make healthy choices. A physician's referral is required. For more information, or to make an appointment, call Mercy HealthLine at (608) 756-6100 or (888) 39-MERCY.

Mercy Orthotics and Prosthetics Center

Some cancer treatments can affect walking and movement or require the removal of a limb. The certified orthotists and prosthetists at the Mercy Orthotics and Prosthetics Centers are experts at fabricating and custom-fitting orthopaedic braces and prosthetic devices to help improve your quality of life. To find a center near you, call Mercy HealthLine at (888) 39-MERCY.

Mercy Pain Center

The physicians and nurses at the Mercy Pain Center, located on the ground floor of Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, offer consultation for complex pain problems, whether chronic or acute. Upon referral by a physician or health care professional and acceptance into the program, you receive a comprehensive evaluation and individualized pain management plan. For more information, call the Center at (608) 756-6049.

Pastoral care

Part of Mercy's mission is to meet the spiritual needs of all patients, including those in our cancer treatment programs. When indicated or requested, our hospital chaplain will meet with you and your family members to assess your spiritual needs. We are happy to make a referral to your own faith group for spiritual care; our chaplain will provide direct care when you have no faith group affiliation or when that person is unavailable. We also offer a chapel and healing garden at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center as serene spaces for prayer, meditation, and reflection. For more information, call (608) 756-6000.

Mercy Regional Plastic Surgery, Skin and Laser Center

The plastic surgeons at the Mercy Regional Plastic Surgery, Skin and Laser Center perform some of the most advanced medical procedures in the world with the eye of an artist, bringing new shape and attractiveness to the human form. They can refashion and repair to wholeness the unique features that once were present but chance has altered. Our estheticians (Janesville) can help show cancer patients how to improve their skin tone and texture, and ways to apply makeup to minimize the visible side effects of treatment. The Center has locations in Janesville and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and Woodstock and Vernon Hills, Illinois. For more information, call (800) 236-6868 or visit MercyPlasticSurgery.org.

Mohs—an effective treatment for skin cancer

As with most cancers, early detection and treatment of skin cancer is the key to a cure. Because some skin cancers can be large with an extensive root system, traditional treatments do not always detect and remove these deep areas of cancerous tissue. One very successful way to treat skin cancer is with Mohs micrographic surgery. Only cancerous tissues are removed, which spares healthy tissue in the affected area. Mohs surgery has one of the highest reported cure rates of all skin cancer treatments. Manish Gharia, MD,[link to his listing] board certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, practices at Mercy Walworth Hospital and Medical Center. For complete information, call the Center at (877) 893-5503.

Transfusion/infusion services

Outpatient transfusion and infusion services are not only cost-efficient, but save time for our patients. Education sessions describing treatment, alternatives and possible side effects allow patients the opportunity to have their questions answered. Transfusion services are coordinated through the Mercy Treatment Coordination Center. For information, call (608) 756-6601.

Mercy Regional Urology Center

People with cancer of the bladder, prostate, testes and other urological cancers will find expert care at the Mercy Regional Urology Center. Here, board certified urologists and support staff offer the latest diagnostic tests, procedures, therapies and ongoing treatments available. Services are offered in Janesville and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. For general referral information, call (608) 741-6991 or (866) 486-6991.

Wigs for Patients

For many people, especially women and children, the loss of hair due to medical conditions can often lead to a loss of self-esteem and self-confidence. The Mercy Health System Association of Volunteers established its award-winning Wigs for Patients program because it knows that when people look good, they feel good. And when they feel good, they can deal with health challenges with confidence and a hopeful attitude. The Wigs for Patients program offers high-quality wigs, free or at limited cost, to patients in need.

Features Hair & Nail Company and Coulterz Cutz in Janesville have specially trained cosmetologists available to consult with our patients, cut and style their wigs, and teach them how to properly care for their new wigs at home. For more information, or to make an appointment for a confidential appointment in a private room, call Features Hair & Nail Company at (608) 756-0307 or Coulterz Cutz at (608) 752-2490.

Mercy Foundation

Mercy Foundation's mission is to inspire positive change and healing through philanthropic giving. Your gifts support community outreach services, certain capital improvements, technological advancements and other programs that are integral to the mission of Mercy Health System.

Mercy Foundation has a general fund and several special purpose funds including the Mercy Regional Cancer Center, Mercy Hospice and the Holly J. Barten Memorial Fund.

For complete information about Mercy Foundation, the specific funds, or ways you can donate, please call (608) 741-2422.

General Cancer	Breast Cancer
www.angelflightcentral.org	www.abcf.org
www.cancer.org	www.breastcancer.org
www.cancer.net	www.komen.org
www.cancer.gov	www.lbbc.org
www.cancercare.org	www.livingwithit.org
www.cancerinfo.net	www.nationalbreastcancer.org
www.caringbridge.org	www.y-me.org
www.clinicaltrials.gov
www.gildasclub.org
www.livestrong.org
www.nccn.org

Lung Cancer	Prostate Cancer
www.alcase.org	www.prostatecancerfoundation.org
www.lungcanceronline.org	www.prostate-cancer-institute.org
www.lungcancer.org	www.psa-rising.com
www.lungusa.org	www.ustoo.com
www.lungcanceralliance.org

Brain Tumor	Pancreatic Cancer
www.abta.org	www.pancan.org
www.tbts.org
www.braintumor.org

Oral, Head & Neck Cancer	Leukemia & Lymphoma
www.spohnc.org	www.lls.org

Ovarian Cancer	Multiple Myeloma
www.ovariancancer.org	www.myeloma.org