MDNews - Mid Hudson

Dr. Nitzkorski and Dr. Farhangi stand outside the Murphy Center for Radiation Oncology, located within Dyson Center for Cancer Care in Poughkeepsie. It is one of four radiation oncology centers in the Hudson Valley affiliated with Health Quest. A major component of Health Quest's personalized treatment plans involves strong communication between patients and care providers. Here, a patient discusses advanced radiotherapy service options with Dr. Farhangi. "We have developed a culture in which each person understands the importance of quality and safety. We've implemented a training program called Life end of the day, we review the events of the day and pinpoint any challenges, so we learn for the next time. Communication is key when you have so briefings, during which all staff members get together and discuss the day's upcoming issues to make sure everyone is on the same page. Then, at the Wings — originally developed in the aviation industry — that fosters good communication between all the team members and empowers each team member to speak up. In the morning and in the afternoon, we have daily many members of the team who are brought to bear on patient care." — Edward Farhangi, M.D., radiation oncologist, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Health Quest support groups. Health Quest also provides cancer patients in the Hudson Valley exceptional support services, including access to New York state's oldest cancer registry and a pet therapy program. The Constant Contact of Care When a patient is referred to any one of the Health Quest centers or physicians, he or she does not simply see a single specialist. Rather, a team as unique as the patient and his or her cancer is assembled without delay. At Putnam Hospital Center and Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Cancer Committees oversee the organizational aspects and structure of cancer services. A tumor board manages the clinical side of care, and individual cases are reviewed and managed by a comprehensive assembly of specialists from each of the fields that contribute to patient treatment. This group includes general surgeons, medical oncolo- gists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists and surgical oncologists who analyze the imaging studies and clinical findings. Their collaboration informs the develop- ment of a custom management plan — a multidisciplinary approach to care that requires frequent exchanges between providers to ensure that as the patient moves through treatment, his or her progress is monitored and adjusted appropriately. "Often, for complex tumors, more than one treatment is required. The cornerstone of cancer therapy is obviously radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery; however, no two cancers are the same and no person with cancer acts the same as another person with the same exact tumor," says Dr. Nitzkorski. "So, determining treatment is a very nuanced decision, and the sequence in which you perform the three treatments makes a difference in survival in a number of cancer cases." According to Edward Farhangi, M.D., radiat ion oncologist, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Health Quest, the communication vital to the successful implementation of a layered treatment plan is already an intrinsic element in the working relationships between Health Quest and community physicians. The incorpora- tion of a fully operational electronic medical record system further facilitates instantaneous, systemwide collaboration. MDNEWS.COM ■ MD NEWS Mid Hudson | 15 SPECIAL CLINICAL SECTION: ONCOLOGY

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