San Mateo – September 23, 2026 -- A nonprofit that has spent more than three decades helping people navigate life after a breast or ovarian cancer diagnosis is set to be featured on Public Television, with production planned at its San Mateo, California headquarters and aboard its Mobile Resource Center.
Bay Area Cancer Connections will appear in an upcoming episode of "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia," an educational short-form series distributed to Public Television stations nationwide. The organization was founded in 1993 by breast cancer patient Jill Freidenrich and her surgeon, Dr. Ellen Mahoney.
The nonprofit offers free support that runs alongside medical treatment
Services include personalized navigation, evidence-based education, emotional support, financial assistance, wellness and survivorship programming, a boutique, and specialized care for people living with metastatic disease. None of the support is standardized; it is matched to each person's circumstances, whether they are a patient, caregiver, provider or philanthropist.
A mobile vehicle carries resources directly into Bay Area communities
The organization's Mobile Resource Center will be filmed as part of the feature, extending services beyond its San Mateo base into surrounding communities. Partnerships with hospitals, clinicians and community groups help stretch that support into daily life, independent of which facility manages a person's treatment.
"At BACC, we believe no one should have to navigate cancer alone," said Rina Bello, Executive Director of Bay Area Cancer Connections. "We strive to meet each person where they are, geographically, emotionally, and in their cancer experience, with support that extends through everything that comes before, after, and in between."
Survivorship needs are growing as treatment outcomes improve
More patients now finish therapy and live for decades, while others live for years with metastatic disease that cannot be cured. Both groups face needs clinical visits rarely cover, including fear of recurrence, scan anxiety, lasting side effects and shifting identity. In response, Bay Area Cancer Connections is widening healthcare partnerships, expanding virtual and in-person access, and testing new service models to keep personalized support available as demand rises.