In recent years, there has been much talk about creating survivorship as a distinct phase of cancer care and providing each patient with a survivorship care plan. CHI Health has a longstanding commitment to providing the best possible care for people undergoing cancer treatment. As part of the cancer care continuum, we are developing excellent survivorship services. Because of this strong commitment to our patients, we have teamed up with Oncology Rehab Partners to launch the STAR Program® (Survivorship Training and Rehabilitation) at two of our cancer centers: Good Samaritan in Kearney and St. Elizabeth in Lincoln.

The STAR Program is a nationally recognized cancer survivorship program that focuses on helping survivors to heal physically and emotionally. Based on conventional medicine, as in orthopedic and cardiac rehabilitation, the STAR Program utilizes an interdisciplinary approach in which caregivers from different specialties team up to help patients increase strength and energy, alleviate pain, and improve daily function and well-being. Most of the survivorship services integrated in the STAR Program are reimbursable by health insurance providers.

The STAR Program is being utilized in some of the largest cancer centers in the country as well as many community hospitals. Oncology Rehab Partners was co-founded by Julie Silver, MD, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and herself a cancer survivor. Dr. Silver is a leading expert in rehabilitation medicine and the author of many books including After Cancer Treatment: Heal Faster, Better, Stronger

and What Helped Get Me Through: Cancer Survivors Share Wisdom and Hope (published by the American Cancer Society).

Dr. Silver developed the STAR Program after going through cancer treatment herself and realizing that she desperately needed rehabilitation in order to return to her former level of function. She now says, “Survivorship services, including oncology rehabilitation, are imperative to cancer care. Every cancer survivor should be offered the opportunity to heal as well as possible and function at an optimal level whether their cancer is cured, in remission or they live with cancer as a chronic disease.”

The development of the STAR Program was also prompted by an eye-opening Institute of Medicine report that

Healing SpiritA newsletter for those affected by cancer

St. FrancisCHIHealthStFrancis.org

2620 West Faidley AvenueGrand Island, NE 68803

(308) 384-4600

St. ElizabethCHIHealthStElizabeth.com

555 South 70th StreetLincoln, NE 68510

(402) 219-8000

Good SamaritanGSHS.org

10 East 31st StreetKearney, NE 68847

(308) 865-7100

STAR Program® Improves Quality of Life for Cancer Survivors

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Are you guilty of skipping breakfast, ordering takeout, getting jitters from coffee overload and counting potato chips as part of a viable diet plan? It’s time to kick those habits to the curb and start eating right for the New Year. Here’s a guide to help you get started.

Eat Breakfast

There’s no better way to start your morning — and the year — than with a healthy breakfast. “It provides your body with the fuel it needs to make energy to keep you focused and active throughout the day,” said Jessica Crandall, RD, CDE, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson. Not only that, but if you are trying to lose weight, fueling your body regularly “will help you from possibly making unhealthy decisions later in the day based on hunger,” adds Crandall.

The key to a good breakfast is balance. Include lean protein, whole grains and fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. For example, oatmeal cooked with low-fat milk and sliced almonds and berries or crust-less quiche with mixed veggies, low-fat cheese and a slice of whole wheat toast.

Cut Back on Caffeine

Too much caffeine can interfere with sleep, can make you jittery and can cause you to lose energy later in the day, says Jim White, RD, ACSM-HFS, Academy Spokesperson. Keep your caffeine intake in check by limiting regular coffee to three cups or less a day. And watch what you put into it. Skip unwanted calories and sugar by drinking it as plain as possible.

Need to wean off? White says to try three things: switch to half decaf or tea, drink plenty of water and eat small, frequent meals to keep up energy.

Bring Lunch to Work

How do you make bringing lunch to work easy? “Have your arsenal of food for the week. Have the right foods to put together,” says White. “By stocking up the fridge, you’re setting yourself up for success.”

White suggests preparing the week’s lunches over the

weekend — bake chicken, chop veggies, steam rice. Make sure your options include a combination of protein and carbohydrates. For example, whole grain bread with turkey, one cup of veggies and a piece of fruit. Or a salad with veggies and chicken, a piece of fruit and a 100-calorie cup of low-sodium soup. It doesn’t have to be a full meal. “If you’re crunched, get a snack,” says White. Go for yogurt and fruit, crackers and low-fat cheese or hummus and baby carrots.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and veggies add color, flavor and texture, plus vitamins, minerals and fibers to your plate. Crandall recommends picking one fruit or veggie you’ve never tried each time you go to the grocery store. “It’s a great way to discover new options,” she says.

Don’t let winter stop you from enjoying produce either. It might be harder to find fresh options, but frozen and canned are great alternatives.

Cook Dinner at Home

Making meals at home doesn’t have to zap the last bit of your time and energy. The trick is to plan ahead. “If the week is cramped for you, then prepping on the weekend is a great time saver,” said Crandall. Choose options you can make in advance. For example, cook a batch of soup you can portion out for lunches or dinner during the week, or bake a whole chicken to slice for sandwiches, wraps and casseroles, suggests Crandall.

Use shortcuts such as pre-cut or frozen veggies and keep staples on hand such as low-sodium broth, herbs and lemons for flavoring. A quick and easy idea is to turn leftover beef into stew with beans, no salt added diced tomatoes and pre-cut veggies.

Courtesy of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Out With the Old, In With the NewMake your habits healthy this year

For breakfast eat:• Berries with low-fat cottage

cheese and high fiber cereal• English muffin with peanut

butter• Whole grain cereal with low-fat

milk• Oatmeal with a side of hard-

boiled or scrambled egg

For lunch try:• Oil-based salad dressing• Salad with as many veggies as

possible• Appetizer as meal• Split entrée or save

half

For dinner use:• Pre-cut veggies• A slow cooker• Leftovers• Extra veggies in stir-fry,

meatloaf, spaghetti sauce and soup

• Frozen fruit for desserts

Quick Tips

3

The benefits of quitting smokingThe Great American Smokeout has come and gone, but it’s never too late for you or a loved one to decide to quit. The American Cancer Society uses the third Thursday of November as a day to encourage smokers to make a plan to quit, or decide in advance to quit that day.

Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States, yet millions of Americans continue to smoke. What many people don’t realize is that the benefits of quitting begin almost immediately after you stop smoking.

The graphic below from the American Cancer Society demonstrates the timeline of personal health benefits from quitting smoking.

Other benefits of quitting include the cost savings. Many smokers don’t think about how much they spend per year on cigarettes because it’s a daily habit, but calculating how much money you are actually spending can be quite eye-opening. Figure out the annual cost, and then multiply by how long you’ve been smoking — and then

think about what other things could have been purchased with that amount of money. Something else to consider is the indirect costs that come along with smoking, such as higher health insurance premiums and other costs that can crop up from tobacco-related health problems.

The health of others is another important reason to consider quitting. Secondhand smoke is also harming those around you when you smoke. Thousands of cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year in healthy non-smokers due to the inhalation of secondhand smoke. In addition, children who grow up in smoking households tend to have more colds, bronchitis and other respiratory issues than children in non-smoking households.

No matter how long you’ve been smoking, quitting will help you live a longer, healthier life. According to the American Cancer Society, people who stop smoking before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half compared with those who keep smoking. Do the right thing for yourself and your loved ones and make the decision to quit.

Resources

If you are ready to take the next step in living tobacco-free, there are several resources to help you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. The Nebraska Tobacco Quitline, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, offers telephone coaching, educational materials and referrals. The free Quitline can be reached at 1-800-QUIT- NOW (1-800-784-8669). There are also a variety of reputable websites with free advice and tools, such as the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), and SmokeFree.gov.

Source: American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org

Good Samaritan:

• Breast Cancer Support Group meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Rosenlof Conference Room at the Good Samaritan Cancer Center.

• Quitter’s Kick Start (A class to help you kick off the new year tobacco free) will be held Thursday, Jan. 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Good Samaritan Cancer Center Conference Room. Register by calling (308)865-7291; space is limited.

St. Elizabeth:

• Cancer Support Group meets the third Tuesday of every month in the waiting room of Radiation Therapy center from 6–7:30 p.m. Open to individuals touched by any kind of cancer. The group is designed to support cancer patients and their caregivers during treatment and beyond.

• Expressions of Art & Hope — Free art classes designed to help you meet the challenges of diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Taught by instructors from the LUX Center for the Arts. Second Monday of the month, 6–8 p.m. Call (402) 219-7000 to register.

• A Time to Heal — A 12-week program designed to help men and women regain physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological and spiritual strength after undergoing cancer treatment. Check CHIhealthStElizabeth.com/cancer for upcoming dates and times.

• Breast Cancer Support Group meets the first Wednesday of the month in the waiting room of the Radiation Therapy Center from 6-8:30 p.m.

St. Francis:

• Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in Conference Room 4 at CHI Health St. Francis.

• Cansurmount support group meets the first Wednesday of the month at 1:30 p.m. in the Telehealth conference room at St. Francis Memorial Health Center.

• From Surviving to Thriving support group meets the second Wednesday of the month at 3 p.m. in the Telehealth conference room at St. Francis Memorial Health Center.

In the Community: A look at the upcoming events in your area

CHI Health Good Samaritan Receives $3.3 Million Grant for New EquipmentThe Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded Good Samaritan Cancer Center $3,302,000 to improve radiation therapy treatment services in central Nebraska. The grant will be used to purchase a new state-of-the-art radiotherapy system, called TrueBeam STx by Varian Medical Systems. The new unit will replace the existing system that was installed 10 years ago. The hospital will also invest in the project by paying for necessary renovation costs to accommodate the new equipment.

“This is an incredible gift to our organization and the people we serve,” said Mike Schnieders, CHI Health Good Samaritan president. “The ability to have this advanced treatment unit will

enhance patients’ experiences by utilizing the most advanced equipment and software available. This means patients can get the best cancer treatment possible without leaving the region.”

TrueBeam STx is an advanced radiotherapy system that delivers treatment with more speed and accuracy than its predecessors. There are many advantages to updating to the new system. TrueBeam STx gives doctors the flexibility to customize treatments for an individual’s particular cancer, including some of the more complex cases. The system allows physicians to visualize, in real time, the tumor that is being treated. And while TrueBeam works to destroy cancerous cells, it also uses very sophisticated technology to minimize exposure to healthy cells. The system’s precision is measured in submillimeters.

CHI Health Good Samaritan has two radiation therapy vaults housing two separate linear accelerators. While the older system is being replaced, staff will continue to treat patients without interruption using the Varian Trilogy unit. The hospital hopes to have the new machine installed and treating patients in spring 2015.

The generous gift from the Helmsley Charitable Trust comes just two years after a separate $490,000 grant from the Trust for Good Samaritan’s Breast Center to purchase a second digital mammography machine.

Since 2011, the Cancer Treatment Center at CHI Health St. Francis has been working toward becoming a CHI Breast Center of Excellence (BCOE). The CHI Breast Center of Excellence is a model developed by the Catholic Health Initiatives National Oncology Service Line that ensures patient-focused alignment with evidence-based medicine, and documented performance of high quality. It ensures our patients have access to appropriate technology, services, resources and support with a goal of providing superior care and outcomes.

The Breast Center of Excellence model requires CHI facilities to achieve three certifications/accreditations from key sponsoring agencies. The three certifications/accreditations selected by CHI are:

1. National Consortium of Breast Centers’ National Quality Measures for Breast Centers Certified Breast Center of Excellence

• This effort ensures CHI breast centers are providing high quality, and are actively benchmarking with peer facilities interested in delivering high quality breast care.

2. National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers

• This accreditation serves as a roadmap to identify the structure, resources and services needed in developing a comprehensive breast program.

3. American College of Radiology’s Breast Imaging Center of Excellence

• This certification helps to ensure excellence in breast imaging, which is a significant part of the overall breast program.

By becoming a Breast Center of Excellence, the Cancer Treatment Center at St. Francis is placed among the top one percent of breast centers in the country documenting performance, and will be nationally recognized as having met performance measures for high-quality breast care established by national health care organizations. Breast cancer patients will benefit from comprehensive care and a multidisciplinary team approach that coordinates the best treatment options available.

St. Francis receives Breast Center of Excellence designation

L-R: Dr. Brant Luebbe, Surgery; Dr. Ryan Ramaekers, Medical Oncology; Dr. David Hadford, Radiology; Dr. Dron Gauchan, Medical Oncology; Dr. M. Sitki Copur, Medical Oncology; Teresa Heckel, Director, CHI National Oncology Service Line; Dr. Doug Clark, Radiation Oncology.

was published in 2006 and titled From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition. This report highlighted many deficits in survivorship care and recommended that survivorship become a distinct phase of cancer care.

Good Samaritan and St. Elizabeth are STAR Program-certified centers. To receive certification, clinicians were specially trained and focused on improving patient care outcomes. There are three phases to STAR Program® certification: training, implementation and outcomes. “Our multidisciplinary team has completed intensive training on the rehabilitation needs of cancer patients,” said Marilyn Kile, APRN, nurse practitioner at Good Samaritan Cancer Center. “The STAR Program allows our team to assist those with cancer or a history of cancer to improve their function and quality of life. The STAR Program is part of a continuing effort to provide the best possible care for our patients.”

Healing Spirit: A newsletter for those affected by cancer

If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, or would like to unsubscribe, please contact Erin Martinez at emartinez@sfmc-gi.org or (308) 398-6787.

STAR Program® Improves Quality of Life for Cancer SurvivorsContinued from cover

STAR Program® participants