Cancer center staff caring, competent, compassionate
There are many reasons people choose to volunteer. For Helen Tapp it was an easy decision. While a cancer patient herself, Tapp saw the opportunity to help others undergoing infusion therapy.
Tapp isn’t new to helping cancer victims; she spearheaded the American Cancer Society’s Look Good, Feel Better program here, and she’s known for giving back to this community.
In a recent email she wrote, “I was hoping that something could be written about the wonderful girls who work in the Cancer Center here at the hospital. I was in treatment for four months and these girls are so caring, kind, gentle, compassionate, plus so much more.”
With that endorsement and an invitation to interview her and the staff, we met at the center a couple of weeks ago. The Cancer Center is a division of Kootenai Health although housed at Bonner General Hospital through a cooperative agreement. Patients from Bonner and Boundary counties are able to get services closer to home, which is a huge benefit since side effects of treatment can be exhausting and painful.
Our first stop was to meet Diana, the receptionist. Tapp referred to her as the “smiley face” and she lives up to that nickname. Each of the staff extolled the virtues of their co-workers.
“We have the finest nurse practitioners in the United States,” Diana explained. “And the oncologist (Dr. Kevin Kim) is the real deal. He’s very procedural focused and extremely cautious. If I had cancer I’d want to see him.”
Our next stop was to meet Renee who is responsible for scheduling patients. Her challenge is to coordinate the authorization for treatment with the doctor, nurse practitioners, the infusion center and, of course, the patients. It’s quite the juggling act and Renee makes sure that it runs smoothly on the three days a week the center is open.
Infusions (it’s now called that because it’s not just chemotherapy that’s given at the center, but also drugs for multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis), can take anywhere from a half hour to six hours to administer. Patients can get up and move around dragging their IVs with them, but mostly either sit in one of the five chairs or lie down on one of the two beds.
Bonnie has been volunteering at the cancer center for five years. Her responsibilities include making sure the patients have what they need such as a warm blanket, a cup of soup or a soft drink.
“I keep the shelves stocked with crackers, coffee, whatever the patient might need,” Bonnie said. “It feels good to help.”
Pharmacist Sharon and pharmacy tech Becky perform one of the most critical jobs. They’re responsible for mixing the cocktail of drugs prescribed for each patient. Double checking is their first and foremost priority.
“Becky mixes and I check that it’s the right dose, right concentration, right fluid, right patient and right rate of infusion,” Sharon said. “Some patients need to be pre-medicated before the infusion. Often an anti-nausea drug or a cautionary dose of Benadryl will be given.”
In the infusion room we meet Delraya, an RN for 25 years. She monitors the patient’s needs and answers queries regarding treatment, side effects from medications or the disease process in general.
“I don’t think there are more cases of cancer today,” Delraya said, “I think there’s more awareness. What’s exciting is that now we’re not so surprised when someone is diagnosed. Cancer has become more of a chronic disease and treatments are so much better.”
Despite the seriousness of the illnesses treated, the staff at the center is upbeat and cheerful. Tapp summed it up, “We’re only on this earth for a short time. Why not enjoy it? This isn’t a fun place to be, but we can provide a chuckle or two.”
Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on Bonner General Hospital Foundation Board. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com, 264-4029.