A Message Kelvin Raybon, MD, FACP In September 2017, I came to Augusta Health to be the Medical Director for the Cancer Program and Infusion Services. In January of this year, I was asked to be the Chair of the Cancer Committee, a position that was previously held by Drs. Ron Turnicky and Rob Kyler. I owe both of these men a tremendous gratitude for their leadership and engagement at Augusta Health. Their leadership allowed tremendous growth and success of both the medical and radiation oncology programs, and were instrumental in integrating cancer care with radiology, pathology, surgery, and other medical fields in our health system. Tremendous advances have been made in recent years in understanding the biology of cancer, and this knowledge is rapidly leading to better but more complex oncologic care. Medical treatments may utilize very specific drugs targeting a single mutation, or nonspecific treatments that stimulate our immune system to recognize and fight cancer. Hormonal and chemotherapeutic drugs remain important weapons, and using combinations of these approaches increasingly shows promise in producing better outcomes. With new more complex therapies come the potential for new and unusual side effects and toxicities, increasing the importance of on-going attention to individualized symptom management and coordination of care in the clinic. We are therefore fortunate to have added a third nurse navigator to help our patients manage their way through active treatment. Along with us providers and the members of the Cancer Committee, the leadership at Augusta Health understands how important it is for each and every patient to have the resources of a navigator, an advocate for the patients and their family members, and someone to help them manage the day to day challenges to getting the care they need. While our focus at the Center is often on taking care of patients who were recently diagnosed with cancer, or who are managing their cancer as a chronic disease, our Cancer Risk Assessment Program or “Genetics Program,” continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The medical field has only now begun to reap the benefits from our knowledge of human genes, how they function, how they become dysfunctional in malignancies, and how we may be predisposed to various degrees to all human illness, especially cancer. We believe our program to be one of the best community cancer genetic programs available, and it daily helps patients understand how to manage or reduce their risk of developing cancer. This year, we were able to pilot an electronic genetic screening program in Fishersville Primary Care and Dr. Flather’s Gynecology Office. During routine visits patients were offered the opportunity to answer a series of questions about their personal and family history of cancer. Based on those answers, the software program can indicate whether or not the patient would benefit from further genetic questioning, counseling and, perhaps, testing. Nearly half of all patients screened are referred for some additional questioning and counseling, and for those for whom testing is recommended and positive, a strategic plan is developed to reduce risk and detect any future problems at the earliest, most curable time. Expanding genetic screening to other practices is certainly planned. Oncology remains a challenging field, but advances in diagnosis and management will continue, and we remain committed to utilizing these advances to reduce the impact of cancer on the people of the Shenandoah Valley. From Leadership 2 AUGUSTA HEALTH • CANCER PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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