Survivors supporting others

Ambassador Program

What is an Ambassador? Ambassadors are cancer survivors and caregivers who have completed radiation treatment at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute for almost every type of cancer treated here.

This program connects individuals considering treatment options with former patients with firsthand experience at our facility. We maintain a Patient Ambassador Program as part of our commitment to assisting prospective patients navigating their cancer care and treatment decisions.

How does it work?

If requested, prospective patients are provided a list of past patients (ambassadors) who have offered to share their personal experience either by phone or email. 

It's important to note that ambassadors, while valuable sources of insight, are not medical professionals and can only share personal opinions and experiences.

Stay Involved as a Survivor

Join the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute as we provide education to communities around Jacksonville and across Florida. Ambassadors are often invited to join and share their experience when we are in your local area. Check out community events here: https://www.floridaproton.org/newsletter#calendar

Do you want to share your experience with others? Reach out to us and we will join you at your local community organization, church or workplace. Email us at Education@FloridaProton.org.

Resources for ambassadors

Do you want to be an Ambassador?

Please complete the ambassador consent form

3 ways to send:

  • Email: Education@FloridaProton.org
  • In Person: Drop off the form at the UFHPTI front desk
  • Mail: Attn: Ambassador Program, 2015 N. Jefferson St., Jacksonville, FL 32206

Complete Form  

ambassador program

Ambassador FAQs

Cancer survivors can “pay it forward” by sharing information they may have wished to have known before they embarked on their cancer care journey.

Prospective patients are provided a list of ambassadors with their phone numbers and email addresses. We encourage all patients reaching out to ambassadors to mention UF Health Proton Therapy Institute in the subject of their email or in the voicemail they leave since many people screen calls and emails.

We encourage all ambassadors to be honest about their cancer care experience. We also caution ambassadors and prospective patients that patient outcomes and experiences differ. Ambassadors should not speak as authoritative voices but instead as another resource of information for prospective patients to make an informed treatment choice decision.

The amount of time you spend with prospective patients is up to you. Ambassadors may find some prospective patients have more questions than others. Each interaction will be unique. Most ambassadors will spend 30–90 minutes in combined interaction with a prospective patient.

Likely not. Most ambassadors receive a handful of calls or emails per year. Each prospective patient is unique and seeks information in various ways. In some cases, prospective patients are happy enough to get a list and contact one patient to validate the list, while other prospective patients might contact dozens of ambassadors.