Cancer Care
As a regional cancer care center, Sparks Regional Medical Center addresses patient needs in a variety of ways. The Sparks Clinic Cancer Center provides a comfortable and state-of-the-art treatment area for oncology patients. An entire unit of the Medical Center, 6 West, is primarily devoted to oncology patients. In addition, a tumor registry offers educational programs that encourage discussion of cancer issues among medical specialists involved in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A Cancer Committee monitors the entire spectrum of care for all cancer inpatients. Ancillary services at Sparks available to cancer patients and their families include pastoral care, hospice and home health. Sparks also provides support for the Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House and its many services for cancer patients.
Oncology Unit, 6 West
This unit houses a team of specially trained professionals in the most current methods of care of cancer patients. Here the patient is treated as a total patient with focus on the special needs created by the disease.
At Sparks, cancer treatment is a multidisciplinary program that relies on cooperation among physicians of various specialties and involves the patient, his or her family, nursing staff, social workers, pastoral care, dietitians, home health and many others.
Tumor Registry
The registry is a collection of diagnostic, therapeutic and survival data on cancer patients. It has been maintained since 1977 and serves as an effective mechanism for measuring the quality and quantity of cancer diagnosis and treatment, resulting from accurate hospital charts and systematic follow-up. Such information is of great value to physicians in the care of patients and to the staff for educational programs as well as a means of stimulating research of specific diagnostic procedures and therapeutic programs.
Cancer Committee
Members of this standing committee represent each major medical section of the Medical Center as well as nursing service, social service, rehabilitative service, tumor registry, pastoral care, home health, hospice and nutritional services.
The committee is responsible for the entire spectrum of care for all cancer inpatients: diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, follow-up and reporting of end results.
As a forum for the dissemination of educational information from one section to another, the committee provides information on events and issues and encourages free discussion among the sections. Specific recommendations for improvement in patient care are then shared with all areas of the Medical Center involved in the care of cancer patients.
For more information regarding the Sparks Clinic Cancer Center,
call (479) 709-7435 or visit www.sparksphysicians.com/cancercenter