Cancer Network News Summer 2016

SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4
NEWS
Letter from Leadership
The WellStar executive leadership team
is in the process of carefully recruiting
and interviewing candidates for the open
Vice President and Director of Operations
positions. In the interim, it is important to
rely on the capable and committed leaders
for basic blocking and tackling. Leigh
Webb, Cancer Data Registry Manager,
is leading the process of readiness for
our Commission on Cancer accreditation
Michael Andrews, M.D.
survey October 6 and 7. Kimberly King-
Chief Cancer Officer
Spohn, Genetics Director, has expanded
clinics to several additional sites with
existing staff. Mike Folk, Radiation Oncology Director, has accepted
additional operation and leader responsibilities, and Barb Wilson, Director
of Oncology Professional Practice, continues to support and lead clinical
and patient care committees and programs. I would personally like to
extend my thanks to them and to all of you who make patients’ lives and
circumstances better as they battle cancer.
With the addition of WellStar sites Atlanta Medical Center, Atlanta Medical
Center South, North Fulton, Spalding, Sylvan Grove and West Georgia,
we appreciate not only the expansion but healthy growth of our Cancer
Network. At this time, our efforts are focused on identifying and meeting
oncology members at each location. These meetings have been valuable
for sharing information about existing services and establishing processes
for transition and standardizing operations, clinical, and business aspects
of cancer care. Over the coming weeks and months, we are encouraging
our newest locations and members to attend and participate in our
committees, meetings and conferences and we will attend theirs. Please
welcome these WellStar colleagues and introduce yourself. We have a lot
to be proud of here at WellStar and they are enthused about joining us and
working together.
VISION:
TO DELIVER WORLD-CLASS
CANCER CARE.
MISSION:
TO ELIMINATE THE BURDEN
OF CANCER ON OUR
COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING
COMPREHENSIVE
PREVENTION & EARLY
DETECTION, TREATMENT
AND SURVIVORSHIP
PROGRAMS, DELIVERED
IN A PATIENT-CENTERED
ENVIRONMENT BY
IMPASSIONED CAREGIVERS.
THIS
ISSUE
News You Can Use 02
Awards & Accolades 08
Welcome to the Team 10
Letters of Thanks 10
Taking Time for You 11

NEWS YOU
CAN USE
WellStar Douglas
STAT Clinic Opens
Patients with lung, chest and esophageal cancers
living in the Douglas community may now be able
to start treatment faster. The brand new STAT
Clinic at WellStar Douglas Hospital will let patients
collect information from a multidisciplinary team
of specialists and make treatment decisions faster
than ever before.
“One of the most important things for patients is
getting treatment started quickly,” said Michelle
Kellett, director of Diagnostic Services at WellStar
Douglas Hospital. “The Clinic’s goal is for
treatment to start in days, not weeks or months.”
After an abnormal lung scan, patients using the
STAT Clinic meet with a multidisciplinary team of
physicians and specialists in one day in one setting.
“The patient will come in and any physicians who
may need to be involved in patients’ care will be
WellStar Douglas STAT Clinic ribbon cutting ceremony.
there, grouped together to discuss a treatment
plan,” Kellett said. “The patient is relieved from
driving to multiple appointments to see several
physicians.”
Additionally, there’s another vital member of a
patient’s cancer team: the nurse navigator. The
nurse navigator program provides patients and
their families with support from the moment they
are referred to the STAT Clinic through treatment
and follow-up, at no additional cost. “We provide
patients with resources and education,” said
Kimberly Foster, RN, Douglas STAT Clinic nurse
navigator. “Because we understand the healthcare
system, we can get the patient’s needs met quickly.”
Other members of the team at the STAT Clinic may
include a dietician, social worker and counselor.
It’s the Journey ® Donates
$40,000 to the WellStar
Foundation
The $40,000 donation will be used to provide breast
imaging procedures to women in our community that
do not have insurance coverage for women’s health
services. WellStar has received funds from It’s the
Journey for the past three years, because there are
several locations within our service area that have
been identified as target areas for women in need.
(L-R): : Lynn Hanks, executive director of women’s imaging;
and Pooja Mishra, former director of operations for the
WellStar Cancer Network hold up the big check.
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4 02

WellStar Kennestone
performs its first IORT
procedure
On April 8 at WellStar Kennestone Hospital,
Sheree Brown, M.D. and Cathy Graham, M.D.
delivered the first “one-stop” treatment for
breast cancer in the state of Georgia using the
Xoft ® Axxent ® Controller Electronic Brachytherapy
(eBx ® ) System via Intraoperative Radiation
Therapy (IORT). IORT delivers a concentrated
beam of radiation to the tumor bed during
surgery. Using a miniaturized x-ray source
that delivers localized and targeted radiation
treatment, electronic brachytherapy is designed
to minimize radiation exposure to surrounding
healthy tissue and is the only IORT technology
that enables physicians and treating professionals
to remain in the operating room with the patient.
The treatment goal is to deliver a complete dose
of radiation therapy in the operating room at the
(L-R): Cathy Graham, M.D., Sheree Brown, M.D.,
and Rhonda Wachsmuth, M.D., are all trained to use
the IORT system
time of lumpectomy, (removal of the tumor and
surrounding tissue). When the patient awakes,
she not only has had her tumor removed,
but has also completed her entire course of
radiation therapy, which could normally take
up to seven weeks of daily treatments. While
IORT is not for everyone, it does open the
door to provide options for those who cannot
tolerate standard radiation, or those that find
daily treatments for seven weeks too daunting,
due to geographical location or other social or
economic barriers.
Behavioral Health Services
for Oncology Patients
Oncology Integrated Behavioral Health services at WellStar include psychiatrist
Kajal Patel, M.D. and psychologist Jennifer Kilkus, Ph.D. This service provides
collaborative interdisciplinary behavioral health care to address the emotional,
behavioral, and cognitive challenges experienced by patients following cancer
diagnosis and treatment.
Services offered include:
• Psychiatric consultation and management
for adolescent and adult patients
• Short-term, evidence-based
psychotherapy
Kajal Patel, M.D.
• Initial consultations and assessments
for adjustment and emotional concerns
following diagnosis and treatment
• Cognitive screenings and neuropsychological
assessment for treatment-related cognitive
impairment
• Psychological interventions
to improve sleep, pain, and
adherence to treatment
For more information, please call
770-514-6760.
Jennifer Kilkus, Ph.D.
03
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4

NEWS YOU
CAN USE
WellStar Imaging Centers Now Offer
3D Mammography (Tomosynthesis)
Conventional mammograms provide radiologists
with a two-dimensional image of the threedimensional
breast. Overlapping layers of tissue
can sometimes create unclear results, false alarms,
or worse - cancer being missed. WellStar is proud
to now offer 3D mammograms, also known as
Tomosynthesis, at all locations except Douglas,
which is waiting on construction to make room for
the mammo unit.
Tomosynthesis provides radiologists with a series
of detailed images of the breast, allowing them to
better evaluate breast tissue layer by layer, making
fine details more visible and no longer hidden by
overlapping tissue.2 Because of its clinically proven
increase in accuracy, a 3D exam can help reduce
false-positive recalls for additional imaging.1,2
This exam is approved for all women who would
undergo a standard mammogram. With 3D
mammography, the positioning and compression
are the same, but the result is multiple images
in less than a 4-second scan time. Very low x-ray
energy is used during the exam, just about the
same as a film-screen mammogram. The total
patient dose is within the FDA safety standards for
mammography. 3D mammograms are currently
covered by Medicare and a growing number of
private insurances.
To schedule, patients can call WellStar Central
Scheduling at 678-581-5900 and request a 3D
mammogram.
Superiority over conventional
2D mammography
• Detects 41% more invasive breast cancers
• Reduces false-positive recalls by up to 40%
References:
1.Friedewald S, Rafferty E, Rose S, et al. Breast cancer screening
using tomosynthesis in combination with digital mammography.
JAMA. 2014:311(24):2499-2507.
2.Rose S, Tidwell A, Bujnoch L, et al. Implementation of breast
tomosynthesis in a routine screening practice: an observational
study. AJR AM J Roentgenol. 2013;200(6):1401-1408.
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4 04

Redeveloped WellStar Cancer
Center at Kennestone Hospital
After months of redevelopment, the new
100,000-square-foot WellStar Cancer Center at
Kennestone Hospital is complete. The updated
facility includes a resource center, genetics
program, wellness kitchen, chapel, salon, garden
and integrative medicine opportunities such as
acupuncture and yoga. Michael Andrews, M.D.,
chief cancer officer, said the new facility focuses
on putting the patient first. “The patient is at the
center of everything we do. This new center is not
just innovative; it’s welcoming. We have created an
environment that will help the growing number of
cancer patients and survivors in our community and
their families to get better.”
(Above, l-r): Resource Center; Welcome Center; Wellness Shoppe. (Below): Staff volunteers at the Community
Open House event on January 31.
05
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4

NEWS YOU
CAN USE
Second Annual Crump
Award Winner Announced
Every year, an oncology nurse who exemplifies
WellStar’s credo and the Cancer Network mission is
selected to receive the Crump Award for Excellence in
Oncology Nursing. The 2016 Crump Award winner is
Maureen Lavelle. She was chosen from an impressive
slate of six oncology nurses across WellStar.
Second Annual Crump Award
Winner, Maureen Lavelle, RN
Various WellStar team
members had very kind
words to share about
Maureen. “She is a true
asset to the WellStar
team; she handles
every patient she works
with as if they were her
family,” said Michael
Folk, system director
of radiation oncology.
William Thoms, M.D.,
a radiation oncologist
at Paulding adds,
“Maureen is the most
dedicated and talented oncology nurse I have had
the pleasure of working with during my 26 years as
a radiation oncologist. She is a blessing to our
patients, and a joy to work with.”
Christine Min, M.D., also a radiation oncologist at
Paulding said, “Maureen is truly outstanding. She
is not only caring and compassionate with our
patients, but she also has excellent work ethic and
is very thorough. She’s everything physicians and
patients want in a nurse.”
The Crump Award was created when Pat Crump,
an oncology patient of WellStar, wanted to “pay it
forward.” Pat and the entire Crump family were so
overwhelmed by the level of care and compassion
shown by the WellStar team members that they
wanted to recognize exceptional oncology
nurses. Working with the WellStar Foundation,
the Crump family provided a monetary award to
further the education of the winning oncology
nurse. WellStar is very grateful for the generosity
the Crump family has shown and the opportunity
they are providing for our nurses.
Cancer Team Member speaks at
national conference in San Antonio
The 41st Annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress was held in San
Antonio from April 28- May 1, 2016. Barb Wilson, MS, RN, AOCN, ACNS-BC,
presented “Ins and Outs of Neutropenia: Evidence Based Practice for
Ambulatory and Inpatient Care.”
Pete Lawrence, RN, OCN, infusion nurse at Kennestone OPIC; Gigi Bellamy,
RN, BSN, nurse navigator coordinator; Maureen Lavelle, BSN, RN, OCN,
Paulding radiation; Kazue Okawachi, RN, OCN and Suzie Allen, RN, OCN,
both from Kennestone inpatient, also attended the conference.
Barb Wilson, MS, RN,
AOCN, ACNS-BC
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4 06

Cancer Center
Volunteers Luncheon
What better way to say “thank you” to our
volunteers, than to host a luncheon for them!
Special thanks to Kathy Kuruc, guest relations
representative at the Kennestone Cancer
Center, who organized the luncheon, hosted on
Thursday, April 21. She coordinated a potluck
with food prepared by the staff and extended
the invitations. The volunteers appreciated
the recognition, beautiful table settings,
decorations and varied menu, all in their honor.
(Above): The WellStar Cancer Center at Kennestone
Hospital’s Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon was a success.
2016 Relay for Life
This year’s American Cancer Society held its Relay for Life
on May 7. The event celebrates cancer survivors, helps
us remember those who lost their battle, and fight back
against a disease that has taken so much from so many.
While it was an awesome event with music, games, food
and fun, it was also humbling and inspiring to see those
that were determined to make the survivors lap!
The afternoon kicked off with a welcome from Mike Folk,
director of radiation oncology for WellStar. Afterwards,
the survivors enjoyed their celebration lap with their
caregivers. As the evening wore on, the luminaria service
was held to honor those who are living with this disease
and to remember those who have lost their battle.
Kimberly King-Spohn,
MS, CGC
Genetics Director
presents at
statewide meeting
Kimberly King-Spohn, WellStar
Center for Genetics and Individualized
Medicine director, presented at the
Georgia Radiology Association Annual
meeting in Atlanta in February.
The WellStar team raised
over $10,000 through bake
sales, a night of painting, and
on-site fundraisers, with our
biggest fundraiser coming
from t-shirt sales. It was truly
a team effort!
(Middle top): Richard and Roberta
Greenfield, WellStar Cancer Network
volunteers. (Middle bottom): Mercy
Abonambugre, Ann Hatfield, Nancy
Page, Michelle Guibault, Gigi
Bellamy, Leigh Webb, Davis Webb
and Pat Philpot
07
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4

AWARDS &
ACCOLADES
Employee Milestones:
How long have you been
with WellStar?
Jeanette Barnes, CTR,
cancer data abstractor
II, celebrates 20 years!
Pete Lawrence, RN,
OCN, infusion nurse
at Kennestone OPIC,
celebrates 35 years!
Kathi Mansfield,
manager of the
outpatient infusion
center at Kennestone,
celebrates 20 years!
Pat Philpot, cancer
conference coordinator,
celebrates 30 years!
Joan Balise, CTR,
cancer data abstractor
II, celebrates 5 years!
Jackie Williams, RN, MSN, OCN,
clinical coordinator of Cobb Infusion,
is a WellStar Shining Star Winner.
Allison Brown won WellStar’s
Annual Shining Star Winner.
Kellie Mitchell, RN, Paulding
Infusion, won the Nursing Awards
of Leadership Excellence.
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4 08

Michael Folk, system director of radiation
oncology, has been named to the Oncology
Payment Reform Advisory Board, a think-tank
group for leaders from a variety of industries.
The goals of the Board are to define the shape
and direction of new healthcare reimbursement
models to generate a synergetic environment
for payers.
National Certified Nurses Day
was March 19. This year WellStar
is proud to recognize the following
nurses working in oncology with
national certification:
OCNs (Oncology Certified Nurse)
Mark McLaughlin, M.D., and Madge Reynolds
have been selected to serve on the CyberKnife ®
Coalition, (CKC) an initiative of Accuray. Accuray
manufactures the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy ®
systems currently at Kennestone. The CKC
regularly testifies at CMS hearings with the goal
of protecting and improving Medicare coverage
and payment to hospitals and freestanding
centers. The CKC works with other stakeholders
including patient groups, provider coalitions and
industry organizations to advocate for policies
that promote access to CyberKnife treatment.
Julie Fifield, RN, OCN, infusion nurse at
Kennestone OPIC, earned her OCN.
Sara Owens, BSN, RN, breast nurse navigator
at Kennestone, earned her OCN.
Marisa Jendras and Amy Bradley both passed
their American Board of Genetic Counseling exam.
They are now board-certified genetic counselors.
Leena Nehru, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, earned her
oncology social work certification.
Cobb Infusion: Jacqueline Williams
Douglas Infusion: Deborah Shadrix
Kennestone Inpatient: Catherine Allen, Alan
Brown, Patricia Harrison, Inga Legeckaite,
Grace Mixon, Kazue Okawachi, Betsy Payne
and Margaret Torres.
Kennestone Infusion: Julie Fifield, Pete Lawrence
and Heather Clark
Kennestone Cancer Center: Barbara J. Wilson
and Sara Owens
Kennestone Radiation: Lisa Bruggeman and
Melinda Mealor
Paulding Infusion: Bonnie Santucci
Paulding Radiation: Dora Edell and Maureen
Lavelle
Home Care: Patti Oakes
AOCN (Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse)
Kennestone Cancer Center: Barbara J. Wilson
CN-BN (Certified Navigator-Breast Nurse)
Kennestone Women’s Imaging: Nicolle Bookout
09
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4

WELCOME
TO THE TEAM
LETTERS OF
THANKS
Join us in extending a
warm welcome to our
new team members:
“Thank you” doesn’t fully express how blessed I was
to encounter each staff member every day for 33
treatments. Every smile, kind word and hug made
each day possible. You all have an amazing gift. I
could not have crossed the finish line without you.”
“You all are a great team working together treating
the patient. You are the best! I believe the Lord will
bless what you have done for me and heal my cancer.”
“Dear Dr. Brown, Franklin, Tyron, Barbara, Tatiana,
Jenna, Jessica, Meredith and Karen – I could not have
been treated any better. You are all my angels.”
Allison Blalock, RN
Infusion Nurse
Kennestone OPIC
“I just wanted to say “thank you” from the bottom
of my heart for all the wonderful care I received
during my radiation treatment! All of you made
a difficult time much, much easier with all of your
wonderful smiles and extra TLC!”
Melissa Cobb
Genetics Scheduler
Nancy Page, RN
Oncology Nurse Navigator
Bonnie Santucci and Jackie Williams were
nominated for the 2016 Celebrating Nurses
AJC Jobs Nursing Excellence Awards.
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4 10

TAKING TIME
FOR YOU
What Science
Can Teach Us
About Gratitude
Jennifer Kilkus, Ph.D
Gratitude is defined generally as a thankful
appreciation of the goodness in our lives. When
life is busy or challenging, it can be difficult to
recognize anything positive in our circumstances.
Many of us have had someone say “Look on the
bright side!” cheerfully, while we roll our eyes or
inwardly groan. Turns out, they’re right. Research
on gratitude has consistently shown a strong
relationship between gratitude and happiness.
Grateful people report higher life satisfaction,
more frequent positive emotions, stronger
relationships, and may be better equipped to
cope with trauma and loss. Gratitude has also
been shown to foster forgiveness, empathy, and
optimism. These benefits don’t end with mental
well-being – gratitude has also been linked with
fewer physical health problems and improved
adjustment to chronic illness. When life is difficult,
it becomes easier and easier for our minds to
filter in the negative. Taking the time to cultivate
gratitude is an easy, and free, way to boost our
happiness.
Try these ideas for growing gratitude:
• Express gratitude to friends, loved ones, and
coworkers regularly. Try writing a short note,
text, or email to someone you appreciate every
day, thanking them for what they do.
• If you don’t have time to write, think about
something nice someone has done for you
and thank them mentally.
• Meditation can provide a space to intentionally
bring awareness to the positives in life.
• Use prayer to express thanks for what you
appreciate.
• Make a point to catalogue events, people,
or circumstances you are grateful for daily,
either by writing them in a gratitude journal
or by sharing them with a loved one. Reflect
on what went right or what you are happy for.
• Learn to let go. Letting go of expectations,
particularly with circumstances beyond our
control, allows us to be grateful for what is,
rather than dwelling on what isn’t.
11
SUMMER 2016 • ISSUE 4

WELLSTAR
CANCER NETWORK
DEPARTMENT DIRECTORY
KENNESTONE
Imaging.........................470-793-0060
Infusion..........................770-793-7518
IP Blue Main..................470-793-4150
IP Medical Imaging.......770-793-5520
Lung Screening.............470-793-4247
Rad Onc.........................770-793-7500
Scheduling.....................678-581-5900
STAT..............................770-793-7440
PAULDING
Rad Onc.........................470-644-8140
Imaging.........................470-644-8060
Infusion..........................470-644-7235
Call the WellStar Cancer Connect Line
at 877-366-6032 to refer a patient to
one of our multidisciplinary programs.
Option 0: Hope Line/Operator
Option 1: TomoTherapy ® and CyberKnife ®
Option 2: Pancreatic Hepatobiliary
Malignancies
Option 3: Lung STAT Clinic
Option 4: Prostate STAT Clinic
Option 5: Center for Genetics
Contact
Us
COBB
CT/MRI..........................470-732-3540
Diagnostic.....................470-732-3514
Imaging.........................470-732-3509
Infusion..........................470-732-4330
IP ..................................470-732-4660
NM................................470-732-3525
Rad Onc.........................770-948-6000
STAT..............................470-732-4816
DOUGLAS
Imaging.........................678-715-6601
Infusion..........................678-715-6860
STAT...............................678-715-6613
WINDY HILL
Imaging.........................770-644-1240
Surgery Center..............770-644-1284
WellStar Cancer Network News is published
three times a year. Please submit content for future
issues to cancernetworknews@wellstar.org.
When submitting employee names, please include
their credentials, title and department. Anyone
other than team members featured in photos must
sign a consent form, and these can be obtained by
emailing cancernetworknews@wellstar.org.
wellstar.org
6/16 CNC0165