King's Daughters' Health

DRI V E N "CANCER TOUCHES EVERYONE in some way," says Katrina True, RT(R)(T), a radiation therapist with King's Daughters' Health. "My grandfather had cancer when I was a child. I saw how it affected my family, but I also saw how great the team who treated him was. That motivated me to find a way to help." Comforting Care, Close to Home The goal of radiation therapy is to destroy cancer cells and stop the growth of tumors. The treatments, which are often administered on a daily basis during the week, can sometimes be completed in as few as 10 visits, but in other cases, patients need to visit a facility 40 times or more. "It used to be that people in our community felt they needed to go to bigger cities to get these treatments," says Bree Heinz, RT(R)(T), a radiation therapist with KDH. "But technologies at our new Cancer Treatment Center are no different than what people might see at hospitals in Cincinnati or Louisville." Pat Stack, MD t Hel Our radiation therapists are motivated by a desire to heal, and they understand what it takes to help make the cancer treatment experience as positive as possible. Vital Signs a publication of King's Daughters' Health 7 But that's just part of what makes KDH such a unique place to undergo cancer treatment. Along with their fellow radiation therapists, Bree and Katrina work hand-in-hand with patients to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs as comfortably and efficiently as possible. They introduce patients to the facility, help them schedule appointments, bring warm blankets to them during therapy, and go the extra mile to protect an individual's privacy and be sensitive to his or her needs. "We see the same people for weeks or even months at a time," Bree says. "We get to know patients and their families and really build relationships with them. That was important to me when I decided to do this as a career." Just Like Family Like many KDH radiation therapists, Katrina and Bree have been caring for residents of Madison and its surrounding counties for several years. During that time, the team has become a close-knit family who anticipate each other's needs and work together for better patient care – and that's a dynamic they share with everyone who visits the Cancer Treatment Center. "We want people to know that we're not just here to give them treatments," Bree says. "We want to help them as much as possible and to let them know we're thinking of them, even when they're not here. ■ For more information about cancer care at KDH, visit www.kdhcancercare.org or call (812) 801-0603. "The most satisfying part of what I do is seeing former patients get clean bills of health year after year. Their gratitude is a blessing that we get every day." — Bree Heinz, RT(R)(T), radiation therapist Radiation therapists Katrina True and Bree Heinz

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