2011 Cancer Program - Augusta Health

Clinical and Patient Support Services
INPATIENT MEDICAL ONCOLOGY
The Inpatient Oncology Care Unit at August Health is an integral part of the cancer care provided to the community. This care
is provided to patients on the 3East Medical Unit. The nursing team includes registered nurses trained in the administration
of chemotherapy and the recognition and management of side eff ects, and provides patient and family education to meet
patient needs during the disease process and treatment.
In order to address the patients’ and families’ stress during hospitalization, there
is an interdisciplinary team approach to planning care for treatment and education.
The team includes social workers, case managers, dietitians, respiratory
therapists, physical therapists and other discipline in addition to the registered
nurses and nursing support.
On this unit, registered nurses complete chemotherapy courses and a competency
for quality standard of care management of patients receiving treatment
for cancer or care for associated complications of treatment or disease. This year
the unit sent Becky Cutlip to the 2011 Oncology Congress where she gained
re-certifi cation in the Biotherapy/Chemotherapy Course. The unit revised the Michelle Davis, RN – Terri Perkinson, RN
chemotherapy safe handling and administration training and then completed
competency training of all 32 registered nurses on the revision. The unit will continue to off er the Biotherapy/Chemotherapy
course twice a year to maintain staff competency in addition to other unit based education.
OUTPATIENT MEDICAL ONCOLOGY
The Outpatient Medical Oncology Department at the Augusta Health Cancer Center provides multidisciplinary oncology/
hematology care—including a full spectrum of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative services required for
the care of cancer patients. In 2010, the department saw slightly more than eight hundred new oncology and hematology
patients and administered nearly eight thousand patient treatments.
The chemotherapy treatment area is comprised of 24-bays with views of the healing garden from many of the rooms. There is
a self-serve nutrition area with drinks and snacks adjacent to the treatment area. Lunch is served for those infusions that last
longer than a couple hours. A massage therapist is also available and off ers multiple techniques to decrease stress and anxiety
during this diffi cult time. The majority of the registered nurses in the outpatient unit are certifi ed through the Oncology Nursing
Society, and have completed the ONS Chemotherapy and Biotherapy course.
Medical decision-making for the Augusta Health medical oncology clinic is provided by board-certifi ed Hematologist-Oncologists
working in tandem with subspecialty-trained nurse practitioners. The clinical team has access to research trials
through Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), a national cooperative
of oncologists engaged in research and in trials in the pursuit of new
cancer treatments. Through Augusta Health’s affi liation with Duke Medicine
and the Duke Oncology Network (DON), there is access to the most
current clinical trials so Augusta Health can provide treatment options in
immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, monoclonal antibody therapy, conventional
chemotherapy, as well as many other exciting new modalities.
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The Augusta Health Cancer Center also provides education to patients
about hereditary risk for developing disease, counsel about the benefi ts
and risks associated with genetic testing, and help in assessing and managing
disease risk based on genetic information. Testing for susceptibility
genes in breast and ovarian cancer syndrome and colon cancer are
available at Augusta Health, while genetic testing for other sites is coordinated
with major teaching facilities.
RADIATION ONCOLOGY
The Radiation Oncologists and staff at Augusta Health Cancer Center work as a team to ensure that patients are provided
with the information, care and support that is unique to their needs. During treatment, patients may be dealing with a great
deal of physical and emotional stress, and the staff realizes their responsibility to help patients understand and cope with the
illness by providing quality medical support services. The goal is to provide patients and those who care about them with a
complete and thorough understanding of the diagnosis and the treatment options available.
The highly trained team of diverse cancer specialists in this unit focuses on the full spectrum of oncology and its problems,
and includes board-certifi ed Radiation Oncologists, ONS certifi ed registered nurses, licensed radiation therapists, a certifi ed
medical dosimetrist, and a board certifi ed medical physicist.
In 2010, the totally digital department saw approximately three hundred-sixty new starts and administered over nine thousand
patient treatments in a calming environment with state-of-the-art technology. Around 60 percent of all cancer patients
will require radiation therapy during some phase of
their cancer care. Radiation treatments may be just one
part of an integrated (or a combined) cancer treatment
strategy involving other modalities of treatment including
surgery and chemotherapy.
The Augusta Health Radiation Therapy department utilizes
both IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy)
and IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy).
IGRT technology is the most advanced therapy available,
allowing the treatment team to localize and view
the treatment target every day, while IMRT allows the
team to conform the dose of radiation more closely to
the target. Because tumors are three-dimensional, it is
important to map the radiation dose to the shape of the
tumor. IMRT enables the team to do this by modulating
or controlling the intensity of the radiation beam. More
accurate targeting allows us to decrease the radiation
dose to sensitive normal tissue, thus decreasing side effects
and improving outcomes, while making sure the
cancer gets the full treatment.
A state-of-the-art electronic medical record is used to
link all aspects of the medical history, diagnostic testing, treatment details, and follow-up information in a way that ensures a
seamless fl ow of information, and signifi cantly reduces the risk of medical errors. In fact, if any one treatment parameter out
of the hundred that play a part in the delivery of the treatment is not as it should be, the machine cannot be beamed-on. The
duration of treatment can vary by patient and type of cancer. However, the average patient receives radiation therapy treatments
daily over a period of two to eight weeks.
PATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL LABORATORY
At the Augusta Health Cancer Center, the companion services of the Blue Ridge Pathology Department and the Augusta
Health Clinical Laboratories have essential roles in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The pathology department uses
state-of-the-art technology such as immunoperoxidase studies, fl ow cytometry and molecular testing to assure accuracy in
diagnosis and to provide vital prognostic information for the treating oncologists.
The pathologists are actively involved in Tumor Board discussions, where patients with malignancy are discussed in a multidisciplinary
fashion, to arrive at the best treatment plan for their cancers. All pathologists are skilled in the technique of fi ne
needle aspiration cytology and are readily available to perform these procedures when requested. The Blue Ridge Pathology
department off ers additional specialty expertise in the diagnosis of lymphomas and leukemia (hematopathology).
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