New website to help children when cancer affects the family
Coping with cancer is hard enough when you’re an adult. It can be even more scary when you’re a child and your mom, dad, or grandparent gets sick.
To help families cope, the BC Cancer Agency has created a new website called Cancer in my Family (www.cancerinmyfamily.ca), aimed at children aged 8 to 12.
The website is a fun interactive environment where children can feel safe, play games, create friendly characters – and at the same time explore how they’re feeling, and learn about cancer.
“It’s an opportunity for children to explore in an interactive way their thoughts, feelings and questions about cancer,” explains Carly Fleming, a clinical counsellor at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver. “Kids process things through fun, art and play, so it will help them on that level.”
For the full story, please go to: www.bccancer.bc.ca/ABCCA/NewsCentre/2009/kidswebsite.htm
Advancing Strategic Direction #3
Support the regional centres, regions and communities with the implementation of provincial cancer control programs and integration of knowledge.
New BC Cancer Agency president comes on board in November
Dr. David Levy, the BC Cancer Agency’s newly appointed president, will be taking the helm in early November.
David is from the U.K. where he was the medical director of the North Trent Cancer Network, and prior to that worked as the medical advisor for cancer to the Department of Health, where he developed national cancer policy and strategy.
He has been involved for many years as the National Clinical Lead in the National Cancer Modernization Program for the U.K. Before leaving the U.K., David was a member of the Council of the British Neuro-Oncology Society; chair of the Rare Brain Tumours Protocols and Research Group, and chaired the National Cancer Intelligence Network sub-groups for both chemotherapy and brain tumours.
David is looking forward to meeting BC Cancer Agency staff when he arrives in November. “The first few weeks will be an opportunity to get out of the office and meet as many of the staff across the province as possible,” says David. “It will also be an opportunity to meet with our collaborators and partners, including health authority and university representatives.”
The decision to make the move from the U.K. was a relatively easy one, says David. “The BC Cancer Agency is a highly-regarded organization in Canada and abroad. I consider it a great honour that I have been offered the president’s role.”
“I look forward to working with others, both within and outside the Agency, to continue to offer high quality outcomes and to ensure our services are patient-focused.”
However, the logistics of moving a family of six half-way across the world is not without its challenges. David’s eldest is staying in the U.K. to attend university, but his wife and four youngest children are coming to Vancouver in September to minimize disruption to their school year.
“The entire family is looking forward to living in B.C.,” says David. “The children are enthusiastic about skiing this winter, and being here during the Olympics.”
Advancing Strategic Direction #1
Sustain and advance our system of cancer control.
imPROVE streamlines booking process for dual modality treatment patients
As the number of patients receiving two or more types of treatments is rising, the need for a streamlined, unified booking process is becoming more and more necessary. This August, a Rapid Process imPROVE Week (RPIW) sought to find ways to simplify the overall process for dual modality patients at the Vancouver Centre. The changes made by this team were based on work done at the Vancouver Island Centre.
About eight-and-a-half percent of patients treated with radiation therapy and approximately 4.4% of patients treated with systemic therapy receive “dual” treatments. A dual modality intervention consists of a patient receiving systemic therapy (excluding hormonal treatment) and radiation therapy within a 24-hour time period.
For this group of patients, who are undergoing multiple modalities and concurrent treatments, the imPROVE team looked at implementing a single treatment plan to achieve optimal clinical and patient care outcomes.
The team identified several issues with the current care of dual modality patients, such as an overall lack of standardization. In addition, many people are involved in the booking process, leading to a duplication of efforts, potentially leading to a lack of synchronizing patient appointments.
To streamline the process, the team recommended the implementation of a unified booking process to reduce the risk of errors in the delivery of complex treatments.
By treating dual modality as a “single patient care process,” health care members take responsibility for the totality of the treatment process, as a single intervention. The new procedures will:
• increase efficiency
• avoid redundancy in steps (i.e. re-work)
• improve communication and coordination within and across programs
• improve transparency of process
• reduce errors in appointment booking
• use visual cues and colour coding to identify dual modality patients.
Orange has been designated the colour for patients receiving dual modality treatment. It will be the colour for patient chart covers, appointment cards and booking guidelines. In CAIS, an orange ‘flag’ has been created to identify patients during their dual modality treatments. In addition, documentation, including treatment protocols and preprinted orders will be clearly identified. Separate patient education handouts detailing coordination/timing considerations of each treatment modality will also be provided.
By making the move to treat dual modality as a single process versus a two program function at the new patient referral point, the average wait time for a patient to see a physician in the second modality decreased from 13 to 7 days. This is because both consultation appointments were booked at the time of referral.
The changes at the Vancouver Centre and will be continually monitored and evaluated so adjustments can be made to ensure a smooth implementation. Eventually, the new procedures will be implemented across the five regional centres.
Advancing Strategic Direction #1
Sustain and advance our system of cancer control.
Medical Oncology Residency Training Program web section up and running
The BC Cancer Agency’s Medical Oncology Residency Training Program is now live on our website! As the program continues to grow, so has the need for program information, and the website is an easy way to provide it.
Medical Oncology is a two-year Royal College accredited subspecialty program affiliated with the University of British Columbia. In addition to training residents as clinicians, the program provides them with a solid grounding in the principles of basic and clinical oncology. Trainees have ample elective time and can tailor the program to their career aspirations.
“The website has consolidated the vital information about our Medical Oncology Training Program into one accessible area. This allows interested parties to get accurate and comprehensive information simply and quickly,” says Dr. Tamara Shenkier, program director, Medical Oncology Training Program of BC.
Carol Gascoyne, program administrator for the Medical Oncology Residency Training Program, has worked with the program for more than 15 years and is responsible for the web pages. “I’ve received lots of valuable feedback from users,” says Carol.
“We created this new section of the website to simplify the process to get information about the residency program,” says Jaya Venkatesh, director, BC Cancer Agency Physician Administration, and Business Affairs, Provincial Systemic Therapy Program. “Visitors to the site now have all of the information at their fingertips. Individuals from all over the world are interested in our program and the website saves time by answering some of the basic questions.”
The pages at www.bccancer.bc.ca/HPI/residency/medonc/default.htm, contain information about the subspecialty residency program including academic activities, evaluations, application packages, faculty and contacts. They also contain information about clinical research fellowship opportunities. In the near future, photos of the residents along with short bios and descriptions of their intended specialty will be added.
Newsmakers
Look who just turned one…
It was a full circle moment for Sandra Parson, one of the first cancer patients to be treated at the Abbotsford Centre, who was at the official opening ceremony in September of last year. “I was known as the pink hat lady then,” says Sandra, who kept her bald head hidden under a hat. “I am very proud to be standing here with a thick and curly head of hair – curls I never had before.”
“I cannot begin to tell you what going through cancer is like, but I can tell you I am so very grateful to all of you for having given me a second chance at life.”
The Abbotsford Centre is the fifth regional cancer centre to open in the province (planning is underway for a sixth in Prince George). Since opening for patient care last August, there have been about 30,000 patient visits to the centre.
For staff reflections about the first year anniversary, check out the Summer Link.
Dr. Stephen Lam receives honour
At the 2009 World Conference on Lung Cancer, held in San Francisco, Dr. Stephen Lam, chair of the BC Cancer Agency’s Lung Tumour Group, received the Joseph Cullen Award from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). The Joseph Cullen Award is awarded to an IASLC scientist for life-time scientific achievements in prevention research of thoracic malignancies.
Stephen is also Leader of the Lung Cancer Prevention Program at the BC Cancer Agency, and a senior scientist in the Cancer Imaging Department at the BC Cancer Agency’s Research Centre.
For the last 18 years, in collaboration with scientists and clinicians at home and around the world, Stephen has been conducting research to develop a comprehensive approach for the management of lung cancer through early detection, localization, and chemoprevention based on novel technologies.
“Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer,” says Stephen of his focus on lung cancer research. “In large part because it is so often diagnosed in the late stages, the development of early detection and chemoprevention is critical to reducing mortality and improving quality of life.”
Reflecting on this prestigious award, Stephen says, “I share this success with many clinicians and scientists at the BC Cancer Agency, especially Drs. Calum MacAulay, Annette McWilliams and Wan Lam, with whom I have collaborated and worked with over the years.” Congratulations to Stephen and his team for this important recognition.
Order of BC for Dr. Linda Warren
Serving British Columbia with excellence as a radiologist, Dr. Linda Warren has distinguished herself as one of the driving forces behind the founding and continued excellence of the Screening Mammography Program of B.C.
Linda was one of 13 distinguished individuals to receive an Order of British Columbia this September in recognition of her efforts to establish a provincial screening mammography program.
Linda has worked hard to promote the concept of screening and to encourage other jurisdictions to follow British Columbia’s lead. Working today as B.C.’s chief provincial screening radiologist, Linda contributes to the ongoing administration of the Agency’s Screening Mammography Program, and to province-wide education on breast cancer screening. She sits on every committee of the program and continues to play a key role in the program’s quality assurance.
As a clinical professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of British Columbia, she has been responsible for training most of the radiologists currently practicing radiology in the province.
6th annual Weekend to End Breast Cancer – another inspirational weekend
On August 15-16, 2009, more than 1,300 participants raised $2.9 million dollars in the 6th annual Weekend to End Breast Cancer. A big thank you to all BC Cancer Agency staff that walked, volunteered, cheered on their colleagues and supported fundraising events.
BC Cancer Foundation President & CEO Douglas Nelson says, “I was absolutely blown away by the support of the event from Agency staff and the community in my first Weekend. Team BC Cancer and the Valley BraGade had 30 walkers who collectively raised over $90,000! And I know there were walkers from other regions as well – so thank you.”
Contact the BC Cancer Foundation
Provincial Office:
604.877.6040
infobccf@bccancer.bc.ca
Abbotsford:
Liz Harris
604.851.4736
lharris3@bccancer.bc.ca
Fraser Valley:
Kate Ludlam
604.930.4083
kludlam@bccancer.bc.ca
Southern Interior:
Cynthia Waldek-Peters
250.712.3910
cwaldekpeters@bccancer.bc.ca
Vancouver Island:
Carla Funk
250.519.5554
cfunk@bccancer.bc.ca
Vancouver:
Sharon Kennedy
604.877.6040
skennedy@bccancer.bc.ca But for Genome Sciences Centre researchers Rebecca Carlsen and Lisa Dreolini, the Weekend had an even deeper impression.
“The Weekend was everything I had hoped it would be,” says Carlsen – who will be back in 2010. “It was such an amazing experience filled with tears, joy, laughter, and new friendships. I was so nervous about being able to raise $2,000 - but I made my goal in two months.”
“It wasn't just the knowledge that I helped raise $2.9 million, or the satisfaction that I reached my goal of walking 60 km,” says Dreolini. “It was the survivors that we walked with – the women quietly sitting along the route with the signs that read ‘Thank you for walking for me’. I am one of the very few who has not personally been affected by women's cancers, but I can't say that anymore.”
For Vancouver Centre nurse coordinator for breast health and research, Jan Blades, “I expected the walk to be really grueling. And yes, I was tired and sore at the end, but I was also invigorated and very moved by the collective energy of all the walkers and the support we received. Would I do it again? You bet – I'm already signed up for 2010!”
“Five members of the Valley BraGade have already signed up again for next year’s walk, with fundraising beginning again soon,” says Fraser Valley breast cancer care coordinator Colleen Sherriff. “We want to help ensure that the women of B.C. receive care and support while fighting their cancers and to help find a cure so that our daughters, sisters, mothers, cousins, aunts and friends never have to fight the battle!”
Sign up now for the new Weekend to End Women’s Cancers, August 14 to15, 2010 at www.endcancer.ca
Advancing Strategic Direction #4
Ensure we have the resources to achieve maximal organizational effectiveness.