Cancer Program Annual Report 2011 - St. Vincent's Health System

Dear Friends
As another year comes to a close, we reflect on St. Vincent’s accredited
cancer program improvements, growth and accomplishments.
Again, I have the honor and privilege of highlighting the significant
accomplishments of St. Vincent’s Cancer Committee Program.
This past year we have had several major accomplishments. The
most significant accomplishment of the Cancer Committee was the
accreditation awarded from the National Accreditation Program
for Breast Centers (NAPBC). This was only possible due to the hard
work of the cancer committee and the tumor registry. St. Vincent’s
was the first hospital in Northeast Florida to receive this recognition
and it again proves how committed the hospital is in providing the highest quality of care for
women with disease of the breast.
The Lung Cancer Institute was also initiated as a comprehensive approach, from screening to
treatment and support. Now referring doctors or patients have a direct line to a multidisciplinary
physician thoracic panel through the lung cancer nurse navigator. Throughout the year,
the program has been a success as patients from Fernandina to St. Augustine have been treated
in a team approach, as each patient’s specific needs and concerns are tailored specifically for
them.
Our skin cancer screening program made a very large impact on the Jacksonville community,
with over 275 people registered for a skin exam in 2010. We continue to evaluate our patient
care and success at St. Vincent’s, as this year we received our data for corpus uteri (endometrial)
cancer. A detailed report can be found in this year’s annual report.
Support Services for cancer patients remain an important aspect of caring for our patients at
St. Vincent’s, including patient and nurse navigators and a nutritionist. The navigator’s role
has become a great asset for our patients and continues to grow. We now have added a second
breast navigator.
The Cancer Committee continues to meet every other month to review quality improvement,
promote cancer conferences, educational programs, clinical research, and community outreach
and support services. The committee also regularly stays abreast of Cancer Committee changes
and updates and monitors compliance with national guidelines.
St. Vincent’s cancer program continues to strive to be the best in delivering cancer care in
Jacksonville while maintaining Ascension Health’s core values of service of the poor, reverence,
integrity, wisdom, creativity and dedication.
Paul Ossi, M.D.
Cancer Committee Chairman
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