On October 18, representatives from Roche Canada were at the Juravinski Cancer Centre to announce a partnership that will see the pharmaceutical manufacturer make a $300,000 gift in support of patient care.
Roche has been a strong supporter of past cancer initiatives and Foundation events, but this gift is special, in that it will help to evaluate innovative new models of care. The gift provides essential funding for two key cancer care strategies: the creation of a nurse-led Transition Clinic and an Oncology Response Coordinator program.
“I would like to personally thank Roche for their interest and support,” said Dr. Bill Evans, President, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre. “I am very hopeful that these initiatives will positively impact the quality of patient care and improve our ability to manage the growing number of cancer patients that we see here at the Juravinski Cancer Centre.”
Cancer Centre staff have a long history of working collaboratively with family physicians and know they are eager to provide care to their patients throughout the cancer journey and beyond. The establishment of a Transition Clinic will facilitate the return of patients to their family physician once they have completed treatment.
This Clinic streamlines the transition by preparing and providing a survivorship plan to the patient and primary care physician. This innovative program will help make sure patients receive appropriate follow-up treatment and create mechanisms for referral back to the Cancer Centre if needed.
In addition to improving care for patients following their active treatment, this program, will also provide more timely access to cancer services for new patients by freeing up time slots in the Centre’s clinical schedule.
The second project this funding will enable is the creation of an Oncology Response Coordinator position staffed by an advanced practice nurse.
The Coordinator will be called in to assess all patients who oncologists feel may require admission to the Hospital. During a preliminary trial last year, this program was able to prevent admissions in roughly a third of cases through careful assessment and the use of ambulatory care services for rehydration and other front-line treatments.
This program will minimize disruption in the lives of cancer patients by reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, and will ensure beds are available for those most in need.
.jpg)
