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Spring 2016 Linking the BC Psychosocial Community Oncology Network

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Spring 2016 Linking the BC Psychosocial Community Oncology Network Spring 2016 Linking the BC Psychosocial Community Oncology Network This newsletter is published by the BCCA Provincial Psychosocial Oncology Programractice for health care professionals in communities throughout British Columbia and the Yukon. What’sOnline New ? for community-based psychosocial oncology, the BC CommunityOnline Oncology Network relationship between community oncology Health Planning Day Authority social workers and the BC Cancer Agency, and regional considerations. The next step will be to In collaboration with Brenda Lynn, Provincial Director for forward these recommendations to the Agency Community Oncology Network, the BCCA Psychosocial Executive, and to continue to build on the positive Oncology Program held a planning day on February 2, momentum of the day. 2016. The purpose of the Community Oncology Network (CON) Planning Day was to bring together social workers, practice leaders and administrators across the province to map out a model for psychosocial care in community oncology and to make recommendations on how to move forward. The day included lively, interactive small and large group discussions. A professional facilitator led the group through a process of appreciative inquiry which resulted in several recommendations for the future of psychosocial care across all regions of British Columbia. Recommendations were focused on: scope of 1 BC Cancer Agency Psychosocial Oncology Program Long-Term Service Recognition 25 years 20 years 15 years Gregory Huebner Wendy MacKinnon Vickie Mattimoe Emily Oxley Elsa Borean Practice Leader, Secretary, Prince Administrative Secretary, Surrey Secretary, Abbotsford George Coordinator, Abbotsford Provincial Program, Vancouver 10 years Vikki Baker Marita Poll Paula Myers- Cynthia Williams Counsellor, Surrey Counsellor, Counsellor, Secretary, Victoria Victoria Vancouver 5 years Valerie Colquhoun Sara Prins Josie Hessel Counsellor, Hankinson Art Counsellor, Kelowna Therapist, Victoria Provincial Program, Vancouver 2 Congratulations to two BC Cancer Agency Staff Update from the Southern Interior PFC Members who will receive awards at the 2016 Kristen Renwick Johnson joined the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Patient and Family Counselling (PFC) (CAPO) conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. team at the Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior (CSI). CAPO Award for Lifetime Kristen comes to BCCA with her Masters in Social Work from UBC and Achievement: most recently was employed at the Women’s and Gina MacKenzie Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, where she worked with the child and adolescent psychiatry team. Prior to This annual award honours a that, she held a position, also in the mental health field, CAPO/ACOP member who, in the at Kelowna General Hospital. opinion of the Awards Committee and the Board of Directors of the association, has made exceptional and enduring career contributions to Update from Psychiatry Psychosocial Oncology. Thanks to everyone who CAPO Award for Clinical attended the first joint Patient and Family Counseling and Excellence: Sarah Sample Psychiatry case rounds on The recipient of this award is February 5th. Thanks especially someone who demonstrates to Sandy Kwong for presenting a outstanding clinical contributions to great learning case and to Elaine psychosocial oncology. The award Shearer for organizing the logistics of the event. We’re focuses on the distinctive going to aim to have these rounds quarterly and if the contribution made in providing or developing services to first one was any indication, they’re going to lead to a patients and families; and/or in clinical supervision of lot of knowledge sharing and useful discussion. For others. Innovation and sustained successful clinical now, we’re only able to include PFC and Psychiatry staff service are what distinguishes the recipient of this award. at the six main BCCA sites, but there may be potential for evolution beyond that. Please contact me, Alan These National awards reflect the outstanding Bates ([email protected]) if you have any contributions of Gina and Sarah to psychosocial ideas on how to make the provincial case rounds as oncology. helpful as possible. Art Therapy Article Published Online Update from Vancouver PFC An article entitled: ‘Online art therapy groups for young Two Nutrition Education sessions for Chinese speaking adults with cancer’ was published in Arts & Health: An patients are upcoming. Topic for both sessions: Is International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice on dietary restriction necessary during cancer treatment? February 24th, 2016. Contributors included two Art (治療期間在飲食上要「戒口」嗎？) Therapists from the BC Cancer Agency - Sara Prins • Cantonese session: March 3, 2016 (Thursday) Hankinson and Catherine Dunlop, along with Kate 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. John Jambor Room Collie, Mary Norton, Mady Mooney, Gretchen Miller and • Mandarin session: March 23, 2016 Janine Giese-Davis. To read the full articles go to: (Wednesday) 10 a.m. – 12 noon John Jambor http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/UUiCT5buXG62TtCI Room KQrG/full 3 Update from Vancouver Island PFC Health benefits for being engaged in the arts Lilly Researchers say: Two hours a week is all you need! Oncology http://www.artshub.com.au/news-article/news/public- On Canvas policy/deborah-stone/landmark-study-measures- healthy-dose-of-the-arts-250260 Canada Lilly Oncology On Canvas artwork is displayed on the 3rd floor at the Vancouver Island Centre (VIC) for all of March and April. The Lilly Oncology On Canvas program was Cancer Chat takes on a new look launched last year in Canada and is an art contest for In October, 2015 the BC Cancer Agency transferred Canadians living with cancer, their caregivers and family Cancer Chat Canada to a new hosting partner, members. Art therapy has helped thousands of cancer namely the de Souza Institute (University Health patients across the country. The winners were Network). There were several advantages to this announced earlier this year and there is a local transition including in house technical support to connection as the first prize winner of the Lilly Oncology rebuild the site, and the ability to achieve long-term on Canvas contest, for her painting “In the Dance” lives financial sustainability for the program. on Vancouver Island in Courtenay B.C. http://lillyocc.com/artwork/in-the-dance/ For more details about upcoming support groups, you can check out the online schedule here: https://cancerchat.desouzainstitute.com/ Pictured here is pharmacist, Sanna Pellatt looking at the Patients and family members can register directly on contest winner. the site for upcoming groups. Next Groups: In total, nine framed pieces of art from the contest with short artists' narratives for each have been touring across Group 1 - Breast Cancer Support Group – starting Canada being displayed in various hospitals including in March 22nd Winnipeg, Toronto, and now here in Victoria at BCCA Vancouver Island Centre (VIC). Group 2 - Caregiver Support Group – (for care givers of a loved one with any cancer diagnosis or stage) - starting March 31st 4 What You Might Not Know outcomes in cancer patients. For example, it can About Smoking Cessation and increase: Cancer Treatment . cancer-related and non- cancer related mortality While it is well known that tobacco use is a significant . treatment toxicity risk factor for cancer and other chronic diseases, the fact . cancer reoccurrence that cancer patients who continue to smoke post . risk of developing a second diagnosis may have worse outcomes than those who primary cancer don’t smoke is less commonly known. Surprisingly, many Quitting smoking however cancer patients in Canada continue to smoke after their can: diagnosis, which is very worrisome. Encouraging and . improve outcomes of supporting smoking cessation is essential to quality surgery, radiation and patient care- it is in fact, a standard of care issue. systemic therapy . reduce risk of reoccurrence While a significant number of patients are still using and second primary cancers tobacco products, they may not know of the benefits of . provide general health smoking cessation with regards to their cancer benefits such as improved oxygen transport and circulation, and heightened immune response treatment. The influence of smoking on cancer treatment is not to be taken lightly. It is of such significance that the Smoking cessation is a key component of providing following was noted in the 2014 US Surgeon General’s quality cancer care. The best treatment outcomes will report on smoking: only be achieved if we incorporate smoking cessation into the care of patients. Research shows that support “The risk of dying could be lowered by 30-40% by health care professionals can have a significant by quitting smoking at the time of diagnosis. impact on successful cessation attempts. Most often it For some cancer diagnoses, the benefit of can be as straight forward as clinicians and health care smoking cessation may be equal to, or even staff asking patients if they smoke, advising them of the exceed, the value of state-of-the-art cancer impact of smoking on their cancer treatment, and then therapies...” assisting them by providing the referral information. To - The Health Consequences of Smoking – 50 Years of assist with this, “Improve Treatment by Quitting Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General (2014), p. Smoking” patient education materials have recently 291. been created for Agency patients, families and staff. There is a considerable amount of new information
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