BOLD Living Program of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine

The Bronx Oncology Living Daily (BOLD Living) Program, now under the newly formed Integrative Oncology Program, is a free, wellness and support program that was launched in 2008 to meet the particular needs of those affected by cancer in the Bronx. The program grew out of an ongoing psychosocial needs assessment of cancer patients in which we directly asked them what services they would want to help them better cope and take charge of their health as they undergo this cancer journey. More than half of patients have asked for mind-body programs, physical fitness/nutrition workshops, creative arts programs, and health education classes with nearly one quarter requesting individual counseling and someone to accompany them to treatment or provide phone support. In an effort to respond to these needs, our BOLD Wellness Workshop hosts over 10 free workshops per month at four different locations in the Bronx associated with the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care. In any given month, patients and their loved ones can participate in yoga, crochet, scrapbooking, a drum circle, Reiki healing, meditation, Aikido, and a walking group. In addition, there is weekly counseling and support groups lead by mental health counseling interns, and peer counseling through our volunteer-based BOLD Buddy Program. Everything is free, available in English and Spanish, and accessible to anyone affected by cancer in the Bronx regardless of where they receive their medical care. Our goal is to empower through education, nurture through support, and serve through understanding our community.

The Director of the Integrative Oncology and BOLD Program, Dr. Alyson Moadel-Robblee, is a health psychologist, Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Director of the Psychosocial Oncology Program of the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care since 1998. She has been committed to helping those facing cancer with limited financial and emotional support since losing her own single mother to breast cancer when she was sixteen years old. She has a dedicated team of BOLD Program coordinators, outreach workers, interns and volunteers who enable the BOLD Program to provide no-cost services to over 1,000 cancer patients and family members each year.  The Medical Director of the Integrative Oncology Program is Dr. Fernando Camacho, an oncologist with experience in community cancer care for over 30 years.  Dr. Camacho, a member of the Latino community himself, is a passionate mindfulness meditation practitioner and teacher who is bringing meditation workshops to English- and Spanish-speaking cancer patients, family members, medical providers, and medical students at Montefiore-Einstein.