LRCC Begins Survivorship Program
Monday, February 1 2010
Lakeland Regional Cancer Center is taking comprehensive care one step further by offering a program designed to identify and meet the needs of the cancer survivor. In January, LRCC kicked off Survivorship Care, a new program of care that follows primary care.
Cancer survivors may experience some lasting side effects from treatment. For this reason, the Survivorship Care program’s purpose is to concentrate efforts on the unmet needs of patients immediately following active primary treatment and to provide a smooth transition into the experience of cancer survivorship. The program is currently open to breast cancer survivors, with a plan to include prostate cancer patients at a later date, as these types of cancer affect our largest population of patients.
“After completing active therapy, cancer survivors are looking to get to their ‘new normal’,” said Jo Horrell, LRCC Nurse Practitioner. “We hope to help them get there.”
Initially, survivors will meet with Horrell, who has 20 years of oncology experience, so that she may assess their needs based on five categories: physical, emotional, psychosocial, sexual and spiritual. After the assessment is analyzed, the survivor will be presented a plan of care. The plan of care will outline the potential problems and side-effects from the cancer and treatments, a treatment summary (describes the cancer type and what treatment was used), evidence-based recommendations for follow-up, how the follow-ups will be conducted and who will be offering the treatments. Packets containing all information will then be given to the patient and the primary care physician.
“We are not only helping to create a well-informed consumer, but we are also learning exactly what our patients need,” said Horrell. “In addition, it helps us know who is responsible for each aspect of the patient’s care.
By learning the specific needs of each patient, LRCC is able to better inform the patient of resources that are already in place. For example, if the patient and their families are seeking to manage and reduce the effects of lymphedema, the Lakeland Regional Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Clinic offers lymphedema therapy. And if the breast cancer survivor needs the company and comfort of others who have had similar experiences, the patient can meet with the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Group.
Currently, Lakeland Regional has experts ready and willing to accept referrals regarding each of the five categories (physical, emotional, psychosocial, sexual and spiritual.
Continuity of care is one of many benefits the cancer survivor will gain from the Survivorship Care program. And the program further exemplifies LRCC’s dedication to its mission of delivering exceptional cancer care, even after treatment. This year, the state of Florida will gain a tremendous 60,000 cancer survivors. The Lakeland Regional Cancer Center is proud to serve as a resource to our patients at LRCC as they transition into survivorship.