Dignity Health | hello Healthy | Winter 2018-19

6 DignityHealth.org/central-california | Winter 2018–19 When Brandy Anderson talks about learning she had breast cancer, she uses words like “terrified” and “horrifying.” She was only 31 and the single mother of two young boys. But now, a year later and after undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and 28 rounds of radiation, Brandy calls her diagnosis a blessing in disguise. She peppers her sentences with words like “gratitude” and “fantastic.” Part of that is due to the changes Brandy has made in her diet and lifestyle. But no small part of her new perspective is thanks to the supportive care she’s received at St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute’s Breast Center of Excellence. “The staff kept me in a constant loop of communication to make sure all of my needs were met—not just as a patient but as a person,” Brandy says. “I felt like they truly cared about me and my outcome.” A focus on the person “The patient comes first.” Ask Jim Linderman and Charlene Smith about the philosophy at St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute, and that’s what they’ll tell you (almost in unison). Linderman is the support coordinator at the Cancer Institute, and Smith is the director. Being a Breast Center of Excellence means that everyone who’s caring for a patient— from the surgeon to the pathologist to the oncologists—works as a team, Smith says. “Here at the hospital we offer radiation therapy,” she says. “We work closely with Stockton Hematology for chemotherapy. And we offer support services here at the Cancer Institute as well.” Those support services include: ●  ● A breast cancer patient navigator who helps coordinate all aspects of care for the patient. ●  ● An exercise program. ●  ● Yoga and tai chi classes. ●  ● Support groups. ●  ● Treat-Meant for You, a day of luxury services at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel. ●  ● Wellness in the Woods, an annual retreat for families dealing with cancer. Most of these services are free of charge and open to the community—not just patients at St. Joseph’s. The high-quality, comprehensive services available to breast cancer patients have twice earned St. Joseph’s recognition by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). The most recent NAPBC survey, in March of 2018, called the programs available at the Cancer Institute “a model for others,” Smith notes. “There are only 34 other Breast Centers of Excellence in the whole state of California,” she says. “It takes a very strong team to earn this kind of recognition.” A terrifying diagnosis, an amazing recovery A breast cancer survivor feels blessed to have been treated at St. Joseph’s “The staff kept me in a constant loop of communication to make sure all of my needs were met—not just as a patient but as a person,” Brandy says. “I felt like they truly cared about me and my outcome.”