Cancer Survivorship Clinic

Life after cancer treatment can sometimes present both physical and emotional challenges. All too often, individuals who complete cancer treatment and are cancer free have complex healthcare concerns that repeatedly go unmet. That’s why Elkhart General Hospital developed the Cancer Survivorship Clinic, a long-term follow up program designed to create a bridge between cancer treatment and your primary care physician.

Care is provided by an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) who has expertise in cancer care and survivorship. Patients in this program will receive careful monitoring for possible recurrence of their cancer and have the opportunity to discuss their cancer treatment, better understand its impact on their health and learn how to stay as healthy as possible.

As a Clinic patient, you will receive a Cancer Treatment Summary, which is a detailed record of your cancer treatment. This summary provides a convenient way to store information about your cancer, cancer treatment and follow up care and supplies basic information about your medical history to future physicians who will care for you during your lifetime.

Additionally, your APN will develop a Survivorship Care Plan or personalized guidelines for continued monitoring as outlined by your oncologist, which include recommendations for preventive care and information regarding available resources and services. The goal is to help you, as a survivor, stay as healthy as possible and prevent problems from happening or catch them early when they can most easily be treated.

This entire program is carried out in collaboration with your primary treatment team. You will receive copies of your Cancer Treatment Summary and Survivorship Care Plan, and we will send copies to the physicians involved in your ongoing care.

Components of a Typical Clinic Visit

This visit is tailored to meet each survivor’s specific needs. A typical visit will include:

• Review of your Cancer Treatment Summary
• Review of your social, family and medical history and current side effects or symptoms
• Physical exam
• Health education, depending on your specific needs
• Referrals to specialists, resources or services as needed based on individual needs (these may include follow up tests, labs, scans or X-rays)
• Referral for genetic counseling
• Nutritional counseling by a Registered Dietitian
• Return visits scheduled, if needed

Once the visit has been completed, the Survivorship Care Plan will be developed. Both the Cancer Treatment Summary and the Survivorship Care Plan will be sent to physicians involved in your ongoing care.

Highlights of the Cancer Survivorship Clinic

• Survivorship Care Plan — a personalized record of cancer treatment and recommendations for ongoing monitoring
• Follow up assessments for cancer recurrence
• Evaluation for long-term complications of treatment
• Education about methods to prevent new health problems and stay as healthy as possible
• Screening recommendations for other cancers, according to national guidelines
• An emphasis on healthy lifestyle practices
• Referrals to specialists, resources or services as needed
• Communication with primary care physician and treatment team

To schedule an appointment, please call the Elkhart General Hospital Cancer Survivorship Clinic at (574) 523-7819. New patients do not need a physician referral.