Stan Rosenfeld stepped down as Chair of the Patient Services Committee this past July after 23 years of service. His dedication to driving excellence in patient care and passion for advocacy is without question. And though he may no longer hold the title of Chair he will remain an active member of the Committee.
In the time Stan has worked with UCSF, he has seen the Patient Services Committee begin and grow and truly thrive. Dr. Peter Carroll's goal was, and continues to be to this day, to provide the highest quality service to patients by listening to them and, most importantly, learning from their perspectives and insights on their journeys. Like other members of the PSC Stan himself has been a patient in Urologic Oncology at UCSF. In the fall of 1998, Stan agreed to the role of Chair of this committee. He has been instrumental in the ongoing effort to improve the patient experience, helping patients navigate their diagnosis and treatment with a minimum of distress by providing support, advocacy and education.
The PSC mission statement is “ Identify, Recommend, and Implement ideas that can enhance the patient experience, from first contact with UCSF, through their entire journey with Prostate Cancer."
Stan traveled with Dr. Peter Carroll across the US teaching and answering questions from other urologic programs at the American Urologic Association, and other groups, about the UCSF Patient Services Committee. In Baltimore, Maryland, they shared their poster presentation, "The Impact of Patient Advocacy: The UCSF Experience" and had a publication in the Journal of Urology in 2004.At the University of Washington, Stan helped their Urology team start their Patient Services program.
Over the years, Stan has led the efforts and helped in the development of the Your Health Matters guides, educational materials with the most up to date information on topics ranging from nutritional advice for men living with prostate cancer to how to use penile injections to achieve an erection. Where at one time these guides were mostly shared as pamphlets in the clinic, they are now being made available online on the UCSFHealth.org website along with many other patient resources. Stan has advocated for, and helped to optimize waiting room procedures, telephone answering service procedures and UCSF Health MyChart workflows. He has been involved in leading peer support programs and in teaching nutrition and Prostate Cancer 101 classes.
He coordinated and chaired 90 regularly scheduled quarterly PSC meetings to discuss ongoing plans and communicate ideas on improving their efforts in understanding and meeting the needs of patients. Attendees include clinical faculty and staff from urologic oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology and 9 patient services committee leaders and advocates, who provide valuable patient perspective.
Stan has advocated and supported thousands of prostate cancer patients since program inception. His humility and passion for what he does are unwavering.
Advice that he recalls clearly and that has shaped his service on the Patient Services Committee is from Dr. Peter Carroll. Stan fondly remembers that one day, when he first became Chair of the PSC, Dr. Carroll told him that he wanted Stan to “…keep him on the straight and narrow”. A daunting request demonstrating Dr. Carroll's respect for the committee and their mission.
On July 19, 2022, Stan delightedly announced that Leszek Izdebski and Bruce Zweig are going to be the new Chair and Co-Chair of the Urology Patient Services Committee. They have demonstrated that they are strong advocates and passionate about elevating patient care and the patient experience. Stan has every confidence that Leszek and Bruce will help ensure that UCSF Urology will continue to be known for putting patient’s needs first. Dr Carroll says “Stan has had a major and lasting impact on the quality of prostate cancer care not only at UCSF but across the country. I cannot think of anyone more committed and resourceful than Stan. It has simply been a pleasure and honor for me to work with Stan – past, present and future.”