The Thompson Cancer Survival Center

THOMPSON CANCER SURVIVAL CENTER IS A SUPPORT CENTER FOR CANCER PATIENTS LOCATED IN KNOXVILLE, TN. IT IS A MEMBER OF THE COVENANT HEALTH SYSTEM.

THOMPSON CANCER SURVIVAL CENTER ("TCSC") PROVIDES A RANGE OF CANCER SUPPORT SERVICES WITH THE AIM OF PROVIDING PATIENTS WHO ARE UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL SITUATIONS. SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDE SOCIAL SERVICES, TREATMENT CARE COORDINATION AND ONCOLOGY CLINICAL TRIALS. COVENANT HEALTH FACILITIES IDENTIFY AND REFER PATIENTS TO THE TCSC SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. IN 2021, THERE WERE 2,991 NEW PATIENT REFERRALS TO SOCIAL SERVICES AND 7,173 FOLLOW-UP PATIENTS. INCLUDED IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS A NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING AND EDUCATION PROGRAM AND A GENETICS CLINIC. THE NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING AND EDUCATION PROGRAM HAD 2,908 NEW PATIENT REFERRALS IN 2021 WITH 4,858 FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS AND 3,970 EDUCATION ENCOUNTERS TO SUPPORT PATIENTS. IN 2021, THE GENETICS CLINIC RECEIVED REFERRALS FOR 793 NEW PATIENTS IN NEED OF GENETIC COUNSELING. OF THESE PATIENTS, 550 WERE SCHEDULED, 367 COMPLETED GENETIC COUNSELING, AND 292 ELECTED TO PURSUE GENETIC TESTING. ALL PATIENTS RECEIVED FULL PERSONAL AND FAMILY HISTORY REVIEWS ALLOWING FOR A THOROUGH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE POTENTIAL OF A HEREDITARY CANCER SYNDROME OR OTHER FAMILIAL RISK FACTORS POSSIBLY NOT ACCOUNTED FOR THROUGH GENETIC TESTING. THE PATIENTS RECEIVED EDUCATION AND COUNSELING REGARDING THEIR PURSUIT OF GENETIC TESTING. WHEN APPROPRIATE, PATIENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH INFORMATION ON SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR INDIVIDUALS IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. FINALLY, ALL PATIENTS RECEIVED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES PERSONALIZED FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL HEALTH HISTORY, FAMILY HISTORY, AND GENETIC TEST RESULTS WHEN AVAILABLE. A GOAL OF TCSC IS TO PROVIDE TREATMENT CARE COORDINATION OF EACH PATIENT. THIS GOAL IS ACHIEVED BY TWO MEANS, THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT PROGRAM AND THE NURSE NAVIGATOR PROGRAM. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT IS A PROCESS OF INDIVIDUAL PATIENT CONSULTATION WITH THE MEMBERS OF THAT PATIENT'S ONCOLOGY CARE TEAM, WHERE TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE DISCUSSED BASED ON THAT INDIVIDUAL'S CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS APPROACH GIVES THE PHYSICIAN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELATE ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE ONCOLOGY PATIENT AND EXPLAIN TREATMENT CHOICES IN LAYMAN'S LANGUAGE. PATIENTS IN NEED OF THIS SUPPORT COME FROM VARIOUS COVENANT HEALTH FACILITIES AND OTHER FACILITIES. IN 2021, THE PROGRAM ADDED 2 NAVIGATORS TO EXPAND SERVICE LOCATIONS. THE TCSC NURSE NAVIGATOR PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED TO HELP ONCOLOGY PATIENTS OVERCOME MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO HEALTHCARE, ACCORDING TO THEIR NEEDS. COMMON BARRIERS INCLUDE FINANCIAL, EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION, LANGUAGE, EMOTIONAL, AND A COMPLICATED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN GENERAL. THE TCSC NURSE NAVIGATORS GUIDE PATIENTS TO SOURCES OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT, HELP COMPLETE PAPERWORK, EDUCATE PATIENTS ON DIAGNOSES AND MEDICAL PROCEDURES, ARRANGE AND COORDINATE APPOINTMENTS WITH MULTIPLE PROVIDERS, HELP WITH TRANSPORTATION, ASSIST WITH HOUSING, COMMUNICATE WITH PROVIDERS ABOUT UNIQUE PATIENT NEEDS, ENSURE MEDICAL RECORDS ARRIVE AT SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS, DIRECT PATIENTS TO SUPPORT GROUPS OR COUNSELING SERVICES, AND ATTEND PATIENT APPOINTMENTS FOR SUPPORT. NURSE NAVIGATORS WORK DILIGENTLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PATIENTS AND FAMILIES AND BECOME THEIR LIAISON BETWEEN ALL PHYSICIANS AND SERVICES. THERE WERE 23,888 ONCOLOGY PATIENT EDUCATION ENCOUNTERS IN 2021, AND 1,800 PATIENTS WERE ASSISTED WITH THEIR TREATMENT BY TCSC NURSE NAVIGATORS. FOR THOSE PATIENTS BEING FOLLOWED BY NAVIGATORS THAT HAVE CURATIVE TREATMENT, OVER 172 SURVIVORSHIP CARE PLANS WERE COMPLETED BY NURSE NAVIGATORS AND DISCUSSED WITH PATIENTS IN 2021. THE NURSE NAVIGATOR IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT OF PATIENTS. NURSE NAVIGATORS CURRENTLY SCHEDULE, ORGANIZE, OVERSEE, SUMMARIZE, AND PROVIDE FOLLOW-UP FOR 4 TO 5 MULTIDISCIPLINARY CANCER CONFERENCES PER WEEK. IN 2021, 893 PATIENTS WERE PRESENTED AT MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCES, WITH 126 OF THOSE PATIENTS BEING SEEN IN OUR CLINICS WHERE A NURSE NAVIGATOR IS IN ATTENDANCE. TCSC CONTINUED ALL CONFERENCES IN PERSON AS WELL AS VIA VIRTUAL FORMAT. WORK CONTINUED VIA RECTAL CONFERENCES TOWARDS A NEW ACCREDITATION FROM THE NATIONAL ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FOR RECTAL CANCER FOR 2021. ACCREDITATION SURVEY IS SCHEDULED FOR FIRST QUARTER 2022. ONCOLOGY CLINICAL TRIALS OFFER PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER ACCESS TO PROVEN STANDARD CANCER TREATMENTS AND TO NEWLY DEVELOPED CUTTING EDGE THERAPIES. SINCE THE OPENING OF TCSC IN 1988, THE CLINICAL TRIALS DEPARTMENT HAS ENROLLED 2,702 PATIENTS IN ONCOLOGY CLINICAL TRIALS. THE TCSC CLINICAL TRIALS DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS 7 ACTIVE TREATMENT PATIENTS AND 104 PATIENTS IN FOLLOW-UP STUDIES. IN 2021, THE TCSC CLINICAL TRIALS DEPARTMENT OPENED 10 ONCOLOGY CLINICAL TRIALS DESPITE OPERATING DURING A PANDEMIC. DUE TO THE EXCELLENT RESEARCH REPUTATION OF DR. CHISM AND THE RESEARCH TEAM, TCSC CONTINUES TO HAVE NEW CLINICAL TRIAL OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO THE TEAM ON A WEEKLY BASIS. TO HELP WITH SCREENING EFFORTS, RESEARCH NURSE COORDINATORS ARE ASSIGNED TO SPECIFIC PHYSICIAN SCHEDULES FOR SCREENING AND TO SPECIFIC LOCATIONS FOR COVERAGE, INCLUDING THOMPSON ONCOLOGY GROUPS IN OAK RIDGE, SEVIERVILLE, WEST KNOXVILLE, DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, AND LENOIR CITY. OPENING NEW STUDIES INCREASES REFERRALS LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY AND GIVES CURRENT PATIENTS THE ABILITY TO BE TREATED WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART CARE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY. INVOLVEMENT IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT TRIALS OFFERS AN IMPROVED MEANS OF HEALTH STRATEGIES FOR INDIVIDUALS AT RISK FOR CERTAIN CANCERS.OTHER TCSC PROGRAMS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT COVENANT HEALTH SYSTEM PATIENTS UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT INCLUDE THE EAST TENNESSEE CANCER REGISTRY AND CANCER OUTREACH SERVICES.COVENANT HEALTHTCSC IS A MEMBER OF COVENANT HEALTH. COVENANT HEALTH IS A COMPREHENSIVE, COMMUNITY-OWNED HEALTH SYSTEM DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE IT SERVES. ESTABLISHED IN 1996 BY THE CONSOLIDATION OF FORT SANDERS HEALTH SYSTEM, KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, AND MMC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN OAK RIDGE, COVENANT HEALTH IS GOVERNED BY A VOLUNTARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. WITH MORE THAN 11,000 EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATED PHYSICIANS AND VOLUNTEERS, COVENANT HEALTH IS THE KNOXVILLE AREA'S LARGEST EMPLOYER AND HAS BEEN NAMED A BEST EMPLOYER SEVEN TIMES BY FORBES. COVENANT HEALTH INCLUDES NINE ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS IN EAST TENNESSEE: METHODIST MEDICAL CENTER OF OAK RIDGE, FORT SANDERS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER AND PARKWEST MEDICAL CENTER IN KNOXVILLE, FORT LOUDOUN MEDICAL CENTER IN LENOIR CITY, LECONTE MEDICAL CENTER IN SEVIERVILLE, MORRISTOWN-HAMBLEN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN MORRISTOWN, ROANE MEDICAL CENTER IN HARRIMAN, CLAIBORNE MEDICAL CENTER IN TAZEWELL AND CUMBERLAND MEDICAL CENTER IN CROSSVILLE. IT ALSO INCLUDES PENINSULA, A DIVISION OF PARKWEST MEDICAL CENTER, A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSPITAL IN BLOUNT COUNTY, TENNESSEE. THE HEALTH SYSTEM ALSO INCLUDES COVENANT MEDICAL GROUP, WHICH INCLUDES MORE THAN 200 PHYSICIANS AND ADVANCED PRACTICE CLINICIANS IN OFFICE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT EAST TENNESSEE.AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE TCSC, THOMPSON ONCOLOGY GROUP, FORTRESS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES, COVENANT HOMECARE, AND FORT SANDERS PERINATAL CENTER. PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE FORT SANDERS FOUNDATION AND THE THOMPSON CANCER SURVIVAL CENTER FOUNDATION IN KNOXVILLE, METHODIST MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION IN OAK RIDGE, DR. ROBERT F. THOMAS FOUNDATION IN SEVIERVILLE, AND MORRISTOWN-HAMBLEN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION IN MORRISTOWN. FUNDS RAISED BY THE FOUNDATIONS PROVIDE SERVICES, EQUIPMENT AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PATIENT CARE.TCSC, AS A MEMBER OF THE COVENANT HEALTH SYSTEM, BENEFITS FROM THE COLLABORATION AMONG ALL AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, PATIENT SAFETY AND EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF CARE FOR THE COMMUNITIES SERVED.