In late September, $14 million in radiation therapy equipment was delivered to the BC Cancer Agency’s Abbotsford Centre, set to open in summer 2008. The four linear accelerators, funded by the Ministry of Health, are the first major pieces of equipment to be delivered to the new Abbotsford Centre.
A team of medical physicists at the BC Cancer Agency will spend the next few months putting the machines through rigorous testing before they can be used in a treatment setting.
“This is an exciting stage of the project. We’ve been planning for months for the delivery of these pieces of equipment,” says Olwen Demidoff, director of clinical operations, Radiation Therapy, for the Agency’s Fraser Valley Centre and Abbotsford Centre. “Now the hands-on work of preparing these machines for clinical use begins.”
Approximately 60 percent of people diagnosed with cancer receive radiation therapy at some point in the course of their treatment. With the addition of the four linear accelerators in Abbotsford, the Agency will have a total of 28 linear accelerators located at its five regional cancer centres.
Advancing Strategic Direction #1
Sustain and advance our system of cancer control
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Newsletter results
86% read the Link regularly
55% read most or all of it
74% wanted to leave the distribution schedule exactly as is (10 times a year)
21% said the Link always keeps you up-to-date about corporate changes; while 74% said sometimes
The content of most interest to readers was stories about new programs and initiatives underway at the Agency and research stories.
64% said you preferred, or had no objection to an electronic format
The fall is traditionally a time for new beginnings – starting new projects, taking a course, or updating your fall wardrobe.
We’re certainly making a big change to the Link this fall, based on your feedback to our newsletter survey. Gone is the paper-based version (although you can still run-off copies for colleagues who don’t have e-mail), and in its place is our new e-newsletter. It’s still called the Link, and we’ll still bring you the news you want to read about, although in a snappier format.
There are many advantages to going electronic, including reduced costs and being environmentally friendly, and you’ll be able to access archived issues of the newsletter.
We hope you like what you see and, as always, we value your ongoing feedback. If you have any questions or comments about our redesign, please contact Papinder Rehncy, Link editor, 604.877.6261, or prehncy@bccancer.bc.ca
Thank you to the more than 300 people who took the time to complete our survey. The winners of a $10 Starbucks gift certificate are: June Bianchini (Radiation Therapy, Centre for the Southern Interior), Marilyn Borugian (Cancer Control Research), Nancy Lim (Nursing, Vancouver Centre), Aida Castro-Chan (Radiation Therapy, Vancouver Centre), and Lesley Lee (Clinical Trials, Vancouver Island Centre).
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Thank you to everyone who completed the Human Resources survey about the Abbotsford Centre this summer. More than 500 staff replied, which illustrates the huge interest in upcoming job opportunities at the Abbotsford Centre.
Throughout the summer, BC Cancer Agency leaders have been working with Human Resources to review data, including workload projections of new patient cases at each Lower Mainland site. This coordinated effort ensures HR is following the Agency’s Strategic Plan to ensure the provision and deployment of resources to achieve maximal organizational effectiveness.
A formal recruitment plan will be developed from this information. Vacancies for new positions at the Abbotsford Centre will be posted this fall. Supervisory positions will be posted first and other positions will follow in order of classification. Please watch the posting board and h drive for a listing of new positions.
After exhausting the internal process, remaining vacancies will be posted externally. Remember the Talent Detective program, which rewards you for referring your friends and colleagues. You can select from some wonderful prizes if your referred candidate is successfully hired. Check out the PHSA portal for more information.
Advancing Strategic Direction #4
Ensure we have the resources to achieve maximal organizational effectiveness.
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This September, I had the honour of accepting an award on behalf of the BC Cancer Agency from the Aga Khan University Foundation for our efforts in helping the Foundation establish cancer centres in lesser resourced nations.
Most recently, Rosie Vellani, radiation therapist, (see story in this issue) and Sherali Hussein, retired medical physicist, traveled to Karachi, Pakistan to provide training and help establish protocols for the delivery of radiation therapy. Rosie and Sherali are among many Agency staff who have made a personal commitment to help colleagues practicing in less fortunate circumstances, whether that be through taking sabbaticals or personal leaves and teaching in other countries, or inviting colleagues from abroad to learn from what we do here.
It’s an unfortunate fact that 90 percent of the countries in the world are resource-poor and if we look at the amount spent on health care, it’s traditionally very low. About two-thirds of those diagnosed with cancer world-wide will die. What makes this more distressing is that we have the knowledge to change those grim statistics. The most meaningful action that resource rich countries, like Canada, can take is to transfer knowledge to those countries who need it and are willing to act on it.
But, it’s of little value to share guidelines and protocols and to say “why don’t you apply these?”, because the way we do things in B.C. may be neither applicable nor relevant in other settings. We need to work with our colleagues abroad, who understand the political, social and economic challenges to apply home-grown solutions. In many cases, those solutions may not be directly related to care, but addressing common risk factors such as poverty, sun exposure, and tobacco.
We need to work with our colleagues abroad, who understand the political, social and economic challenges to apply home-grown solutions. In many cases, those solutions may not be directly related to care, but addressing comon risk factors such as poverty, sun exposure, and tobacco.
And, it’s not just about transferring research or clinical knowledge, but also about sharing knowledge regarding basic health care organization and planning. Many countries don’t have the fundamental data on how many of their people have cancer, what are the most prevalent types of cancer, and what’s the distribution of cancer in relationship to the geography. Those are all key questions that need to be answered before you can plan for an effective cancer control system.
There are huge disparities and inequities in the world, and there are many reasons for that imbalance. But I believe that by attempting to redress the inequities and barriers – as individuals and as an organization – we can positively affect global cancer outcomes. For all of you who are taking action in your own personal way to address the inequities, I commend you for your commitment. As an organization, we can all take collective pride in your accomplishments.
Dr. Simon Sutcliffe
President
BC Cancer Agency
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A $4,600 donation from a coffee bar service formerly operated by the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE) at the Vancouver Centre will purchase four new recliner chairs for the centre’s Patient and Family Counselling program.
Now, patients can receive individual therapeutic touch and relaxation in the comfort of a counsellor’s office.
“The reclining chairs help us provide a calming environment for patients to experience and deepen their relaxation skills and techniques,” says Sarah Sample, coordinator of the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Centre relaxation program. “This is such a wonderful gift for our program and the patients who use our services.”
In addition, an oximeter - a device which measures the amount of oxygen in a patient’s blood - was purchased for ACU.
The IODE continues to support the BC Cancer Agency through the Jesse R. Burke Memorial Fund.
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The BC Cancer Agency is home to several husband-wife teams, but few more charming than Emily and Al Baptiste. However, the couple – who between them have 58 years of service – retired together in September.
Emily joined the Vancouver Centre in 1972 as a clerk in Cytology. For the past 10 years, she has provided administrative support to the Cancer Control Research Program.
“We owe a lot to Emily for the success the unit has had over the past 10 years – and having an ‘in’ through her to Al hasn’t hurt either!” says Richard Gallagher, head of Cancer Control Research.
No matter what department Emily has worked for, she has never forgotten why she comes to work each day. “There has never been a piece of paper in the 35 years I have worked here that is more important than the person who walks through the doors of the cancer agency.”
When Emily walks out of those doors for the last time as an employee, she’ll be leaving to share her retirement with husband Al Baptiste and much-loved English golden lab “Shamus.”
Al joined the Agency’s Vancouver Centre in 1985 as an electrician with Plant Maintenance, working his way up to Facilities Manager for the Research and the Vancouver Centre buildings.
Over the past 22 years there has been no typical day for Al, “When staff come to work everything seems to work seamlessly – and that’s the way it should be. However, it takes a tremendous amount of behind the scenes work to maintain the complex equipment to keep the buildings operating efficiently so people can do their jobs.”
Al’s dedication to the job served as an example for the department, says Will Davies, director of facilities and property management, PHSA. “His personal concern for others to provide the best support possible will endure in the memories of his teammates and colleagues at the Agency.”
Al says he won’t miss being called almost every weekend because of some building or security emergency but he and Emily will miss seeing their friends. “There are so many people that cared about us and we cared about them,” says Al. “We will miss seeing them.”
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Six oncologists at the BC Cancer Agency’s Fraser Valley Centre are testing a new wireless computer tablet in the centre’s ambulatory care unit, in anticipation of the opening of the Abbotsford Centre, which will offer a completely wireless environment.
Dr. Kevin Murphy, medical oncologist and lead investigator of the study, along with co-investigators Dr. Frances Wong, chief physician for the BC Cancer Agency’s Fraser Valley and Abbotsford Centres, and Wade Werner, PHSA IT, are determining what oncologists like about the tablets and what needs to be improved through interviews and questionnaires.
“This is a great opportunity, before the Abbotsford Centre opens, to assess how the technology might be best applied in a clinical setting,” says Kevin.
The 12 inch wireless tablets are loaded with the standard clinical software: CAIS; e-film; and Internet Explorer (to bring up protocols); and some specialized software programs. A digital pen allows users to make notes, and offers the convenience of keeping an electronic record of handwritten notes.
So far, the results have been encouraging. An earlier pilot study shows that oncologists were impressed with a number of time-saving features, including writing electronic prescriptions on-line (a software program developed by Dr. Kevin Jasas), which is much quicker than by hand.
In the future, all medical forms may be available on-line for healthcare providers to fill electronically rather than hard copies being stored at an ambulatory care station.
Another advantage is the ability to quickly pull up information related to the patient’s case or to access care information on-line and print it off immediately for patients. Also, CT images, to show treatment changes, can be viewed by patients in the privacy of an exam room.
“We’re not expecting people will tell us there have been dramatic improvements in their day-to-day activities with the wireless tablet,” says Kevin, “But we hope to improve work-flow in small increments, so it’s easier for staff to do the job they need to, and hopefully, at the same time, improve the care for our patients.”
There are however, some kinks that need to be worked out before the Abbotsford Centre opens in 2008. The download of electronic images is slow, and the screen resolution of x-rays requires improvement. Also, the wireless tablets require a battery to be charged, and during periods of inactivity the network connection is dropped (to conserve power) requiring system restarts.
“One device can’t serve the needs of all healthcare providers,” says Kevin, “But, as we continue to test and improve the functionality of the tablets, I believe they can be an important resource to support clinical activities.”
Advancing Stategic Direction #2
Establish the knowledge generation and application model within the provincial cancer control platform.
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In August, Health Minister George Abbott was on hand to officially open renovated areas of the BC Cancer Agency’s Fraser Valley Centre, where approximately $12.5 million in funding was provided for new radiation therapy equipment and increased chemotherapy capacity to improve patient care.
The cost to replace three linear accelerators (machines used to give radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tumours), a CT simulator and a digital simulator (machines used in treatment planning) was $10.5 million, including $9.5 million from the Ministry of Health and $1 million from the BC Cancer Agency’s radiation therapy program.
An additional $2-million – including $100,000 from the BC Cancer Foundation – expansion to the chemotherapy areas includes a new state-of-the-art pharmacy, which supports the timely and safe preparation of intravenous chemotherapy drugs for ambulatory patients, and a much larger dispensary for patients requiring oral drugs.
The chemotherapy space has also been redesigned to provide for 23 chemotherapy treatment chairs – up from 14 previously – in addition to enhanced patient privacy and workspaces provided for nurses at point-of-care, so nurses remain close to patients.
Advancing Strategic Direction #1
Sustain and advance our system of cancer control.
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A new support group for lung cancer patients has begun meeting at the Vancouver Centre each month. Facilitated by Karen Levy, a registered nurse, and Marshall Veal, a clinical counsellor, the support group provides a safe environment for patients and family members to share their experiences and concerns with others facing similar challenges.
Results from a provincial BC Cancer Agency quality assurance audit of symptom prevalence found that lung cancer patients had significantly more treatment-related concerns such as nausea, poor well-being, breathlessness, tiredness and lack of appetite than patients with other types of cancer.
Furthermore, Langara senior nursing students Elham Amini and Rosie Naidu, and Advanced Practice Nurse Karen Levy carried out a needs assessment of 34 lung cancer patients and their family members which found that 55 percent were keen to attend a support group to learn more about the management of disease symptoms and treatment side effects, along with diet and exercise, complementary therapies, and dealing with emotional distress.
“Discussion is guided by the needs of the group, with the goal of helping participants to achieve a sense of control despite their diagnosis,” says Karen.
Each session will have an education component, followed by time for discussion and support. The group meets from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every 4th Wednesday in the John Jambor Room.
For more information about the group, please contact Karen Levy, 604 877 6098, local 2640 or Marshall Veal, 604.877.6000, local 2252.
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The BC Cancer Agency provides students – whether they are in high-school, university or medical residents – an insight into what it’s like to be a caregiver or researcher in an oncology setting.
The Radiation Oncology Department of the Fraser Valley Centre has a long history of providing medical students the opportunity of conducting clinical research under the supervision of radiation oncologists. As well, they gain exposure to clinical management of oncology cases. “It’s really a win-win for everyone,” says Dr. Winkle Kwan, research director of the Radiation Oncology Department. “It allows us to kick-start research studies that may have been on the back-burner because of lack of human resource.”
“It also gives us an opportunity to mentor students who may be thinking about a career in oncology, and it increases the Agency’s research profile in the community.”
This summer, three medical students and one physics undergraduate student volunteered their time to projects, ranging from hands on testing of a dosimeter to the review of clinical charts. Funding from the department’s Research and Education Fund was used to cover their expenses. Research findings will be presented at the upcoming BCCA Annual Cancer Conference.
Congratulations to Fiona Mitchell, Radiation Therapy, who was recently elected president of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT). Fiona will begin her two-year term on January 1, 2008. CAMRT is the national association which represents radiological technologists, radiation therapists, nuclear medicine technologists and magnetic resonance imaging technologists.
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The BC Cancer Agency recognizes those employees who have completed 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of continuous service on or before December 31, 2006. We are pleased to include PHSA Corporate employees who were previously employed at the BC Cancer Agency and meet the Long Service Award criteria. This year’s Award Ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 1 in the John Jambor Room, and will be videolinked to the Fraser Valley Centre (Room 3011) and Vancouver Island Centre (Conference Room 2). For inquiries, please contact Stefanie Goertzen (HR Consulting Services) at 604-877-6117. See a list of this year's award recipients.
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The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is providing a whopping $86,740 to the BC Cancer Cancer Agency to fund academic fellowships and equipment at the BC Cancer Agency’s regional centres this year. That’s up by $22,000 from last year. The Agency is extremely grateful to be a primary beneficiary of the OES’s year-round fundraising activities in the province.
The Grace Shane Fellowship ($18,000 total) – which supports BC Cancer Agency staff to gain knowledge abroad and bring it back home for the benefit of B.C. cancer patients – will be shared by 11 individuals:
- Mike Durand
- Dr. Paris-Ann Gfeller-Ingledew
- Dr. Daniel Heng
- Sarah Jennings
- Cher Kinamore
- Laurel Kovacic
- Krista Kincewicz
- Luminita Nica
- Kelly Nystedt
- Alison Ross
- Lori Rowe
In addition, $68,740 will be provided for equipment:
Vancouver Island Centre:
Laser lights for positioning breast cancer patients for treatment; double infusion pumps for chemo delivery.
Centre for the Southern Interior:
Immobilization system to stabilize patients receiving radiation therapy; vital sign monitors
Vancouver Centre
Equipment for cleaning scopes; education video about internal radiation therapy; blanket warmer; creatinine analyzer; books and AV materials for the Library.
Advancing Strategic Direction #4
To ensure we have the resources to achieve maximal organizational effectiveness.
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Many of our patients use the internet for education, information and psychosocial support. Patient and Family Counselling has improved and expanded its section of the website (Coping with Cancer) to provide patients, caregivers, friends and family with information about emotional, practical and palliative support.
The information is formatted for easy reading on the web. There are downloadable fact sheets on specific topics such as stress management, anxiety and depression.
Information will continue to be added based on feedback from patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals. Check out the site and if you have any comments, please forward them to Gina Mackenzie, Lower Mainland Practice Leader, at gmackenzie@bccancer.bc.ca
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As an important part of imPROVE, PHSA is launching an Employee Engagement survey that runs from October 22 to November 2. Staff across the PHSA agencies are encouraged to complete this anonymous survey, which asks 13 questions and should take about five minutes to complete. This survey will be used to determine our areas of strength, and identify areas where we can improve. You will be receiving a hard copy of this survey from your manager, and can fill this out and mail it in, or choose to complete the survey online.
Results from the Employee Engagement survey will be available in December, and shared with your work group by your manager or leader.
The BC Cancer Agency has a long history of exploring ways to improve and do things better, based on new evidence. It is part of our culture to strive to do better for our patients, their families, and the public we serve.
As part of our ongoing commitment to patient care and optimizing outcomes, the BC Cancer Agency, along with the BC Centre for Disease Control, are among the first agencies to engage in imPROVE, a new program which seeks to improve the patient quality, safety, and the overall healthcare experience.
imPROVE, PHSA’s Work Smart System, is based on the following principles:
- improve patient safety and quality and, ultimately, outcomes and patient satisfaction.
- Empower staff and physicians to redesign their work environment, enabling hem to better deal with continually increasing demands and HR shortages
- Create more effective and efficient processes so as to build a sustainable system of care
- Develop a culture of continuous improvement
“Over the past few months, I have worked with my fellow executives across PHSA to look at how we can implement imPROVE thinking as a way of sustaining our cancer care system, and improving services for the patients we serve,” says Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, president, BC Cancer Agency. “Over the next few months, you’ll be hearing much more about imPROVE, PHSA’s Work Smart System, as we prepare to implement this approach within the Agency.”
In the next few weeks, the Agency will identify projects for imPROVE and begin to establish imPROVE teams. We’ll keep you regularly updated about imPROVE activities in the Link.
Advancing Strategic Direction #1
Sustain and advance our system of cancer control.
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When Rosemin Vellani, a radiation therapist with the BC Cancer Agency’s Radiation Therapy program, was approached to fly half-way across the world to provide training for medical staff at the Aga Khan University Hospital Hospital in Karachi, she didn’t hesitate.
“It was such an honour to be asked to go,” says Rosie, “And, it was an incredible opportunity to make a difference in improving cancer outcomes in the developing world.”
Rosie took an unpaid leave of absence for three months to teach treatment planning to senior physicists, and to introduce BC Cancer Agency processes and systems to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients in Karachi.
“The Radiation Therapy Program is very proud of Rosie’s efforts,” says John French, Director of Operations for Radiation Therapy. “Sharing our knowledge with lesser resourced nations is one way we can make a real difference in improving cancer outcomes for those who are less fortunate.”
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When you view the new materials for the BC Cancer Agency’s Screening Mammography Program (SMP) – you might wonder what fantasy world we are living in. The newly redesigned materials show women passing pink ribbons and tending to the “ribbon tree” along with the tagline: “Pass it on…Your Breast Health Has Support.” The inherent message is: take care of yourself, look out for other women and know that there is a formal program available to support your breast health.
The materials were created specifically for the program by Vancouver artist Steve Hepburn. The new materials include information brochures, posters and appointment pads. You can visit www.smpbc.ca to see the new look. Also, if you want to get involved with promoting the Program in your community, please send an email to: amacdonald4@bccancer.bc.ca.
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This summer was a very busy time for the BC Cancer Agency’s Terry Fox Laboratory. The lab received a $5 million grant from the Terry Fox Foundation, through the National Cancer Institute of Canada (Canadian Cancer Society), for research on normal and leukemic stem cells. It was only one of three projects approved for funding this year from the Terry Fox Foundation.
Five senior scientists - Drs. Keith Humphries, Connie Eaves, Peter Lansdorp, Gerry Krystal and Andrew Weng - will work together to examine the unique behaviour of stem cells and determine how stem cell behaviour is altered in leukemia with the goal of developing new therapies.
“The BC Cancer Agency’s team was one of only three Terry Fox Program Projects approved for funding this year, confirming the quality of the science and the potential impact their work will have on improving cancer outcomes.”
Darrell Fox, National Director, Terry Fox Foundation
In other news, in a landmark study, researchers at Terry Fox Laboratory discovered that all blood stem cells are not created equal, challenging a long-held belief. The discovery adds another layer of understanding about the basic biology of blood stem cells, which may also lead to improved treatments for leukemia patients.
For more information, please see: BC Cancer Agency awarded $5 million for research into stem cell behaviour and Stem cell subtypes discovered by BC Cancer Agency.
Advancing Strategic Direction #2
Establish the knowledge generation and application model within the provincial cancer control platform.
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The 4th BC Cancer Foundation Weekend to End Breast Cancer was a huge success! Over two thousand walkers raised $5.1 million for Dr. Sam Aparicio’s breast cancer program at the BC Cancer Agency.
The secret for success is teamwork, especially when the team is led by Akosua Tomash and Deborah Rusch. These BC Cancer Agency staffers helped launch Team BC Cancer in 2005 and have been co-captains ever since.
“We thought more people would walk if there was a team to organize fundraising events,” Akosua says. Her inspiration was a breast cancer patient of her former boss Dr. Karen Gelmon, and her own aunt who had just been diagnosed. Deborah knew a lot of breast cancer survivors, including her mother.
Team BC Cancer has been the top fundraising team three years in a row, growing from 30 members to nearly 70 this year. Funds raised to date: an impressive $520,000.
The 20 Vancouver Islanders team members raised over $70,000 this year, for a three-year total close to $160,000. Foundation and Agency staff at the Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior formed CSI Wine Country Walkers this year, using creative means such as offering pink manicures and pedicures at a farmers’ market, to raise nearly $34,000.
“It’s a lot easier to fundraise than people think, especially as a team,” Akosua says. Deborah adds, “Once I started asking, I was amazed how many people came forward to donate; someone would have a birthday party for example and give me a cheque.”
Registration is open for the 5th Weekend to End Breast Cancer on Sept. 5th to 7th, 2008 at www.endcancer.ca.
Advancing Strategic Direction #4
To ensure we have the resources to achieve maximal organizational effectiveness.
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