Caring for those with cancer
- APRIL 2006
- Français
Clinical Manager Trudy Street is flanked by Oncology Registered Nurses Nita Ongcangco (left) and Bernie Bazely (right), in the chemotherapy treatment room.
The chairs are full … in the waiting room, corridors, exam rooms, and treatment rooms at the Niagara Health System's Outpatient Oncology department, 8 to 10 hours a day every Monday to Friday. As Oncology-certified RN's busily travel these halls and treatment rooms, patients and their family members patiently wait for chemotherapy, sometimes coming back two or more times a week for up to a full year to receive the care they urgently need.
This is the norm for Clinical Manager Trudy Street and her dedicated team, who have almost 1,500 patient visits each month to the Outpatient Oncology Unit at St. Catharines General Site. Most of these visits involve the administering of chemotherapy drugs for cancers including, breast, lung, prostate, colo-rectal or gastro-intestinal. As a satellite cancer centre with the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, the unit recently found a new home at St. Catharines General Site, moving from former Hotel Dieu Hospital last autumn, when the delivery of acute care services was transferred to the NHS.
"This is the Niagara centre for chemo, and we also provide weekly peripheral clinics in Niagara Falls and Welland for patients requiring consultation or follow-up visits with an oncologist, keeping care close to home," Trudy explains. "Our unit at St. Catharines General was renovated specifically to meet our needs and is working well for staff and patients. We have an oncology pharmacy attached to our unit, which is wonderful for quick turnaround, communication, and availability when we need chemotherapy drugs mixed quickly."
The health care team includes physicians (medical and radiation oncologists, palliative care physicians), registered nurses, social worker, nutritionist, pharmacist and pharmacy technicians, spiritual care co-ordinators, clerical staff (reception, health records, transcription) and physiotherapy support.
Future Plans
A full range of cancer care, including radiation therapy, will be offered at the new Niagara Regional Cancer Centre being built alongside the new hospital slated to open for St. Catharines and Thorold residents in 2010-11. The Niagara Regional Cancer Centre (NRCC) will become the hub of a co-ordinated regional cancer treatment network for Niagara. The NHS will be the host hospital partnering with Cancer Care Ontario to jointly operate this comprehensive treatment centre.
Under the proposal, the NRCC will become a critical resource for all 410,000 residents of the Niagara region who require radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Just one example illustrates the far-reaching benefits of this initiative – it will allow approximately 1,000 radiation patients, who must currently travel to Hamilton, to have this treatment closer to home. Operating 12 hours a day, the new cancer centre would initially feature three radiation treatment rooms and 24 chemotherapy stations, growing to four radiation treatment rooms and 31 chemotherapy stations by 2015.
Providing Support
Key to the success of the current program is the staunch volunteer base from the Canadian Cancer Society. These volunteers in their yellow jackets are busy all day, providing light snacks and beverages, keeping patients company, and helping to communicate with them about the daily schedule. "We are so fortunate to have them with us, and we are now working with the hospital volunteers as well to expand the services on the inpatient unit to include activities, such as knitting, for inpatient and outpatient units," says Trudy. "As well, we encourage family members to accompany patients. Some are here for up to eight hours, if they're receiving IV therapy, and appreciate the support of their families and friends."
In addition, the department partners with a host of other agencies, to assist patients and their families through difficult periods, and to ensure a continuum of care. In addition to those already mentioned, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (four locations at NHS sites), Wellspring Niagara, Hospice Niagara and Community Care Access Niagara, are active partners in care.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials, sponsored by research groups such as Ontario Clinical Oncology Group, U.S. National Cancer Institute and industry partners, are also conducted at the Outpatient Oncology unit. "We are also affiliated with the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group and have dedicated medical, nursing and clinical research staff," Trudy says. "Our program was the first centre in Canada to receive the Clinical Trials Participation Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. We are very proud of our work, which ultimately improves the care we and other cancer centres provide, not only in Canada, but around the world." The newest medications and treatments are trialed with patients, and the data are collected and analyzed by the trial sponsor. Study results may lead to the gold standard of care.
The NHS will be holding a community forum on cancer care Monday, April 24, 2006, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., to discuss the priorities unique to our region, the progress made in improving the quality of care, and the plans to bring additional cancer services to Niagara.
Keynote speakers will be:
Dr. Bill Evans, President of the Juravinski Cancer Centre and Regional Vice President for Cancer Care Ontario. The Ontario Cancer Plan was created in 2004 to respond to the burgeoning need for cancer care. Dr. Evans will discuss the Ontario Cancer Plan, the priorities unique to our region and the progress made in improving the quality of care for patients.
Linda Boich, Vice President, Clinical Services at the NHS, will highlight the NHS’s plans to bring additional cancer services to the Niagara region.
The community forum will be held at the Welland Hospital Site, 65 Third Street, in the auditorium. The event is open to the public and is free. Space is limited, and members of the public are asked to reserve a seat by calling Kelly Haley, 905-378-4647, ext. 46528; kelly.haley@niagarahealth.on.ca