Dedicated clinical research nurses, such as Charita Weathers and Stacy Baum, work with multidisciplinary teams to match qualifying patient volunteers to the latest clinical trials. 80 percent of patients entering the system for a second opinion chose to receive care at the cancer center’s Breast Care Clinic. That kind of ownership is present in each of the center’s clinics. “Each of our multidisciplinary teams has a unique and dedicated group of physicians,” said Brown Cancer Center Director Donald Miller, MD, PhD. “Each team has a dedicated radiologist, pathologist, and oncologist. We’ve added three full-time social workers to ensure quality of service to each team. We’ve also recruited a psychiatrist who conferences each month with our nurse coordinators to discuss any patient psychiatric needs. “The clinical culture has shifted to become highly customer-service oriented, which is a more pleasant environment for our professionals to work in.” The cross-specialty cooperation has also been a benefit to health professionals throughout the community and beyond. The structure has supported the accreditation of continuing education
credit for various team meetings, and several teams have annual or biannual educational conferences that feature not only Brown Cancer Center faculty, but cancer leaders from around the world. These conferences give the Brown team the opportunity to learn from and with colleagues from across the region, strengthening ties and potential referral networks. Clinical research is active and vibrant throughout the clinics. “The multidisciplinary setting makes our clinical research better,” Dr. Miller said. “Our clinical researchers have vibrant and active clinical settings in which to work creatively.” Dedicated clinical trial research nurses serve in each clinic conference and match qualifying patients with available trials in consultation with the entire team. This immediate consideration of emerging treatment advances is an obvious benefit to Brown Cancer Center patients.
Clinical Evolution The research and education-rich environment also allows for clinics to
grow and evolve in their approach to best serve patients with the latest developments. For instance, the Head and Neck Clinic has grown to heavily consider, along with eradication of the cancer, the quality-of-life impact of each viable treatment option. “Head and neck cancers and their traditional treatments can be disfiguring and can drastically affect communication and self-care,” Liz Wilson explains. “Working with each patient, we discuss these issues and work toward organ preservation whenever possible, without losing focus on the extension of a quality life.” This slight shift in focus has resulted in promising results, with low rates of cancer recurrence and high marks for quality of life. “We continue to work with our patients after cancer treatment has ended, as many need a variety of therapies to achieve full recovery,” Ms. Wilson continues. “The continuity of care that FALL 2009
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