Hope - Cancer Publication by Karmanos, January 2016

A PUBLICATION OF THE BARBARA ANN KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE

JANUARY 2016

3 5 6

Patients Talk, Karmanos Listens Advisory council helps enhance care, services

Karmanos Expands Treatment Expertise, Clinical Trials Across Michigan Karmanos Researchers Collaborate to Study Environmental Links to Disease Development

THINKING HOLISTICALLY Karmanos meets patients’ emotional & social needs

T

he specialists at the Karmanos Cancer Institute aren’t just experts at treating the physical disease—they also care for each patient’s emotional and social well-being. This medical approach is called holistic care, and it’s something Karmanos offers every patient, says Kathleen Hardy, Karmanos oncology social worker. “Caring for patients’ psycho-social needs helps reduce stress and provides the best response to cancer treatment,” she says. “New patients receive distress screening to evaluate how they’re doing physically, emotionally and psychologically. We can provide services like counseling, support groups and healing arts programs. We can also connect patients with community resources that can provide help at home.” Karmanos oncologists also understand the importance of holistic care. The Institute has its own Supportive Oncology Multidisciplinary Team, led by David Debono, M.D., and his medical colleagues. This team focuses on helping patients deal with physical pain, treatment side effects, psychological effects and social issues. Shirish Gadgeel, M.D., leader of the Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Team, says he builds a rapport with patients by listening

closely to their needs and pulling in specialists to address them. “Through my words and actions, I try to assure patients and their caregivers that I will always be available as they take their cancer journey,” he says. “I often call upon our social workers and other resources to address patients’ socio-economic or emotional issues. I also try to project a positive attitude and communicate in a compassionate and understandable way. Giving a smile or holding a patient’s hand goes a long way toward being supportive.” Hardy encourages patients to build a rapport with their physician by expressing their feelings and needs. “Ask questions, communicate openly and allow some time to build that relationship,” she says. “No one person can meet all of your needs. But our entire team of specialists can respond, no matter what the situation.”

CONTACT US

For more information about a cancer diagnosis or treatment, call 1-800-KARMANOS (1-800-527-6266) or visit karmanos.org.