CANVA
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Bringing the best care closer to home
Children’s Oncology Group (COG) members believe that every child deserves the best possible care, regardless of where they live. One important way we put this belief into action is by helping bring the latest in care – from clinical trials to survivorship resources – to regional and rural hospitals. We recently talked to two COG physicians at smaller hospitals about how COG helps them better serve their patients. Here’s what they had to say.
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Judy Felgenhauer, MD: The best care close to home
Judy Felgenhauer, MD, believes the best cancer care is usually the care that’s closest to home. She’s a pediatric oncologist at Providence Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic in Spokane, Washington – five hours and one giant mountain range east of the state’s largest pediatric cancer center in Seattle. When a child is diagnosed with cancer at her hospital, she’s glad to reassure most families that they will receive the same therapies in Spokane as they would in Seattle or anywhere else.
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"That's not possible for some of the most complex clinical trials, but we can otherwise keep the majority of our patients here,” she says. “That makes a huge difference.” This is thanks in part to the Children's Oncology Group (COG) for helping implement the same standard of care across all affiliated hospitals and bringing clinical trials to more places across the country. Quality care close to home benefits patients and their whole families. “Parents have to take time off work, they may need to find childcare for other siblings,” she says. “It’s disruptive to every part of the family’s life. And when a family has to drive for hours or even relocate to a different city for care, that makes it even harder.” |
Dr. Judy Felgenhauer
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About half of Dr. Felgenhauer’s patients live in the Greater Spokane area, while others come from Western Montana, Northern Idaho and Central Washington – bringing care closer to home for them as well.
One of the best parts of her job is seeing the patients she treated as children grow up to be happy, healthy adults – and COG and their supporters help make that possible.
“COG helps every child get the latest in care, regardless of where they are treated,” Dr. Felgenhauer says. “Donors play an important role in making that happen. When you support COG, you're supporting every child diagnosed with pediatric cancer across the country and beyond."
One of the best parts of her job is seeing the patients she treated as children grow up to be happy, healthy adults – and COG and their supporters help make that possible.
“COG helps every child get the latest in care, regardless of where they are treated,” Dr. Felgenhauer says. “Donors play an important role in making that happen. When you support COG, you're supporting every child diagnosed with pediatric cancer across the country and beyond."
Aaron Weiss, DO: Local access leads to better outcomes everywhere
Pediatric cancer is rare and certain subtypes are extremely rare. That’s a good thing, but it can make these cancers difficult to study.
“We need to study as many patients as possible to find definitive answers,” says Aaron Weiss, DO, pediatric oncologist at Maine Children’s Cancer Program in Scarborough, Maine. “So being able to recruit participants from across the country helps fill that gap, enrolling onto trials faster and giving more children access to the latest therapies.”
“We need to study as many patients as possible to find definitive answers,” says Aaron Weiss, DO, pediatric oncologist at Maine Children’s Cancer Program in Scarborough, Maine. “So being able to recruit participants from across the country helps fill that gap, enrolling onto trials faster and giving more children access to the latest therapies.”
Donor Funding Backs Key Players in Clinical TrialsOne crucial part of bringing clinical trials to regional or rural hospitals is making sure they have the right staff to run them. Gifts to the COG Foundation help fill that gap by funding salaries for clinical research associates (CRAs). CRAs play a vital role in clinical trials – and COG is deeply grateful for donors like St. Baldrick's and Cookies for Kids Cancer who support their work. “CRA’s are a lifeline. They help patients understand and consent to trials, they collect data, they make sure that we cross the t’s and dot the i’s. They are truly what makes the whole thing run,” Dr. Felgenhauer says. |
About 90 percent of Dr. Weiss’ patients who are eligible for clinical trials choose to participate – and their participation is vital.
“Enrolling kids from a wide geographic area helps ensure that trials include a diverse patient population, and that findings can be more broadly applied," Dr. Weiss says. The majority of children diagnosed with cancer in Maine come to Dr. Weiss’ team for care. Some families come from nearby, while others drive for hours to see him from the northern part of the state. “Beyond the fact that it's easier for families when they don’t have to travel far for care, a lot of people in Maine take pride in their roots,” Dr. Weiss says. “Being able to stay in Maine and get the care they need is very important to them.” |
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Dr. Weiss is also grateful to have access to COG protocols and guidelines which include best practices for important subjects like anti-nausea management, fever management and long-term survivorship. These guidelines help greatly improve the quality of life for children going through cancer treatment. “If you look at outcomes over the last several decades, it's clearly evident that research from organizations like COG are critical in improving not only survival outcomes, but also enhancing the quality of life of patients,” Dr. Weiss says. “We have made tremendous achievements that would not have been possible without COG.” |
Dr. Aaron Weiss
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