It’s been a while since I wrote about my experience with breast cancer. Diagnosed and treated in 2009 – the year of my 20^th high school reunion and my daughter’s second birthday.

Because my tumor was caught early and a “good” one – as far as malignant tumors go – the experience is now in my past and doesn’t occupy much of my mental energy anymore.

But what if the whole thing could have been avoided all together? What if it was caused by something I eat, do, or allow myself to be exposed to? I’d much rather have avoided the whole darned experience.

Know anybody who feels like me? Or maybe someone whose struggle was way harder? Or someone who lost the battle? Ever say to yourself, “If there was only something I could do!”

Well there is, and it doesn’t require you to open your checkbook.

The American Cancer Society is conducting a national Cancer Prevention Study – CPS3. It’s a long-term study, meaning folks participating will be asked to fill out surveys every few years for 2-3 decades, but we can all check boxes, right?

Locally the ACS is hoping to enroll about 800 people between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer. UT has offered to play a major role in this effort, providing enrollment venues on both the Main and Health Science campuses the week of April 15. Enrollment involves signing a consent form, getting your waist measured and providing a small blood sample.

Want to make a difference? Enroll.

ToledoCPS3.org

On behalf of cancer survivors, their parents, their children, their siblings and their friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The health care marketing team is coordinating a photo shoot next week. Photos will be used for a number of purposes – the UTMC Web site, printed pieces, presentations and more.

We always like to feature “our own” in UT photography, so we are looking for people interested in portraying patients, nurses, techs, etc. for these pictures.

Photo shoots are scheduled:

• Monday, March 7, from 1 to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 8, from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, March 10 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Interested? Comment below with your name, email address and daytime phone number or email Aimee Falk by Friday, March 4.

A month ago, Ioan Duca came to the UT Medical Center to take on a newly created position as Director of Patient Satisfaction, and he’s hit the ground running.

One of his first major initiatives is to administer a comprehensive cultural audit to everyone who works on the Health Science Campus, which was sent out by Dr. Scott Scarborough last Thursday.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it – this survey instrument is long. I spent about 30 minutes completing it.

But it’s important that those of us who work in the hospital make time to complete it.

I recently had the opportunity to present to a public relations class taught by Larry Burns. The discussion afterward led to a heart-to-heart urging these students to “have a plan.”

I mention it here, because we, as employees, can either sit back and let outside forces determine a plan for our future and UTMC’s future, or we can own it. This survey gives us an opportunity to play a part in our own destiny.

According to Ioan, the survey will provide perspective on “what has worked successfully, what needs improvements/redesign along with what needs to be phased out.”

The survey link was sent to everyone who works on the Health Science Campus, and it will be open until Monday, Dec. 13.

For the survey link and for more info, go here.

There’s a Sting song called Brand New Day that came out in 1999. It’s about picking up and starting over.

Celebrating a "brand new day"

It seems totally appropriate to mention it here, because today marks a new beginning at the UT Medical Center.

Under the leadership of Dr. Scott Scarborough, interim vice president and director of UT Medical Center, and senior vice president for finance and administration, UT Medical Center, we will officially be debuting:

• A “demonstration patient room of the future”
• New uniform scrubs
• New, more modest patient gowns
• New standards of patient satisfaction
• The Ask Me 3 communication campaign
• More evolution of our electronic medical record

And more is coming.

For details, read the UToday article.

This hospital is a quality place to get care. These initiatives are geared at complementing the patient experience with the “softer” side of medial treatment, and I’m excited to “get on the bus.”

Katie Jesse, one of my dearest friends, recently became a float nurse at UTMC. She’s the kind of person I’d want at my bedside if I were in the hospital – attentive, compassionate and smart.

Sometimes I hear apprehension from folks who don’t see the advantages of having newer health professionals caring for them. I beg to differ. These folks have the enthusiasm and the spirit to provide great care – qualities that can sometimes wane over years of experience.

Katie just wrote a new blog post, and I’d like to share part of it with you. I think it demonstrates my point:

“I haven’t been a nurse for very long. I will come into contact with so many people I won’t remember most of them.

“Today I learned that one of my patients passed away. She was [in her 40s]. It saddens me a great deal this time because I was able to take care of her for a few weeks… so I got to know her and her family fairly well. She died yesterday.

“I am grateful that I got to know her. She was a feisty, spoiled, and demanding woman. But for some reason it never bothered me. I guess because I thought of myself lying in that bed not knowing what was going to happen to me and realized that I knew nothing of what she was going through. I didn’t care how she acted because she was fighting her own demons and fears I couldn’t possibly understand her battle.

“She came found me in another unit last week while she was in the hospital. She was out and about and wanted to come say hi. She looked awful. But it made me feel good that she thought of me the way she did. I am glad I was her nurse and was able to care for her. And I know I gave her the best possible care I could have.

“They say that there will always be a few people in your nursing career that will touch you in some way and that you will always remember the first one that dies. I believe them. I will always think of her. If I met her outside of the hospital in some other capacity, we probably would have never been friends, but she touched me in a way that I can’t explain. I knew when I went into this profession that it wouldn’t be easy. And its not. But I love it anyway…”

We’re getting a lot of good news about safe and high-quality patient care at UTMC these days.

Heart attack care at our hospital was recently listed among best in the nation on  “core measures” relating to treatment of heart attack, including:

• “Door-to-balloon” time, or time it takes from a patient’s arrival  to when a blocked artery is re-opened
• Number of patients who survive heart attacks
• Prevention of second heart attacks

And surgical care is receiving high marks as well in University HealthSystem Consoritum’s Surgical Care Improvement Project. Measurements include providing the right antibiotics at the right time before surgery, maintaining a patient’s temperature, taking measures to avoid clots, among others. Read more.

This recognition is not based on a popularity contest — it’s based on metrics. Clear, measurable metrics. The kind that demonstrate  a major facet of university-quality care.

There’s been a lot going on around here lately, and I’ll be honest, I’ve been stressed out. We’ve been working our tails off on very worthwhile projects, and I got sick at a most inconvenient time.

But you know what? The circumstances reminded me of something. Work friends can be lifesavers.

I’m talking about the folks we spend so much weekday time with but don’t socialize with outside of work. We sometimes coin these relationships as not “real” friendships.

I beg to differ, though, and I have quite a few “work friends” I trust immensely and depend on to no end. These people know my self-proclaimed strengths as well as shortcomings, and like family, they fill in the gaps, they jump in when I need help and they often don’t ask for anything in return, except that same support.

So what does this have to do with health or health care?

Well, I’m still sane (at least I think I am), largely in part to my work friends. As a health-care professional, work friends can mean the difference between life and death for a patient, the difference between getting done what needs to be done and missing the boat.

So thank you, colleagues, for your help this week and every other week. And if I can be so bold, if you haven’t shared your appreciation lately for these 8-hour-a-day buddies, consider doing so.

As a matter of fact, I would love it if you would share your comments here for the world to see!

End of life care is a topic addressed every day at an acute care hospital like UTMC. It’s something that I’ve become comfortable discussing and thinking about.

But on the way to work Monday morning, I heard a commentary on National Public Radio that made me think a little differently about this very personal subject. Take a listen:

“For this doctor, DNR means ‘Do Not Resign’” by Boris Veysman

So what are your thoughts? Did you find this segment as thought provoking as I did?

iCARE is an initiative at UT Medical Center to help all of our physicians, staff, students and volunteers to remember why we’re here – to provide patient-centered care. The “CARE” represents Communication, Access, Respect and Excellence.

Last month, UT’s Heart and Vascular Center sponsored the hospital’s monthly iCARE event. Andrea Jacobs works in the cardiology clinic and organized a heart-healthy recipe contest. Faye Sugheir, who also happens to work in the cardiology department, was the winner with her broccoli salad recipe.

View all submitted recipes.

I attended the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kickoff and Survivor’s Breakfast last Saturday. There were more than 200 survivors and supporters in attendance at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons.

I often dread attending anything before noon on a weekend. Between getting our little one up and around and getting myself up and around, I like taking my time when I can.

Dr. Iman Mohamed

But I am so glad I attended this event. It’s always so inspiring to be surrounded by other breast cancer survivors. To see so many women with super-short hairstyles, looking ultra-chic.

But I know why their hair is so short. They’ve been through a battle against cancer and chemo. And they’re proud of it!

UTMC is helping to bring Making Strides Against Breast Cancer to our community again in May. UT’s own Iman Mohamed, M.D., spoke on Saturday about how far breast cancer treatment has come, even in the last 15 years. It felt so good to know that I have benefited from the progress, and I owe so much to breast cancer patients before me who participated in trials to help progress research.

The American Cancer Society is funding nearly $2 million for cancer research at The University of Toledo. That’s money raised in northwest Ohio helping northwest Ohio.

UT already has a team formed for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. To join or for more information, visit the UT Rocket Walkers Team page.