One Patient at a Time

There are a lot of careers one can pursue that will provide a feeling of accomplishment. Success comes in many shapes and sizes, and there seems to be something for everyone. The staff at Hope Cancer Resources is pretty similar to a staff at any other company. We have staff lunches, we keep track of new babies and birthdays and family crises. And individually, we each have things that motivate and inspire us to wake up and come into work every day.

But as a whole, it's safe to say that hearing the stories of the cancer patients we help is a powerful factor in our dedication to the work we do. Everyone at Hope Cancer Resources - every single person - has something to do with helping cancer patients in Northwest Arkansas receive the support they need to make it through their treatments and be prepared for life after.

Some people get through treatments and are cured. They will never have cancer again. We might help them with a prescription during the treatment, or a few rides to their doctor appointments. Other people may not have a good prognosis, but still need help dealing with the financial, emotional, and logistical nightmare that a diagnosis of cancer can bring on a family. We might offer them counseling that helps them deal with their anxiety or help with how to create a living will. For all of these patients, the support we provide is key to their personal journey.

 We'll say it again: Success comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it can't be measured in years. Sometimes, it's just finding a way to manage the time they have left.

Here's a recent patient's story...

"Mr. Smith", a 51 year old widower with a 16 year old daughter, suffered a seizure in the days leading up to Christmas. He found himself in the hospital Christmas morning, and was told he had lung cancer that had metastisized to his brain. A Hope Cancer Resources social worker met Mr. Smith on his first appointment at Highlands Radiation Oncology Clinic. It was quickly obvious that Mr. Smith had several concerns.

First, he was not going to be able to work any longer as a truck driver and would have to give up his commercial driver's license. Second, the various family members who had been giving him rides to the hospital and doctors' offices needed to return to work soon, leaving him no way to get to his appointments. In addition, he was to begin treatment the next day because of the seriousness of his condition, but he had no insurance. He was concerned about how he would pay for his treatments and prescriptions, some of which needed to be refilled within the week. Finally, with the understanding that his condition was terminal, Mr. Smith had questions about establishing a living will to give him some control over "end of life" decisions.

Our social worker oriented Mr. Smith to our services, and encouraged him to contact us or have his daughter do so if either of them "needed to talk". Our social worker then worked with one of our van drivers to arrange a ride for his appointment the next day, and ongoing appointments. They spoke with Mr. Smith's physician and nurse to confirm prescriptions and call in refills for those needing to be continued. Because Mr. Smith admitted that he is easily confused, our social worker helped him complete our application for assistance and explained the components of a simple living will and helped him complete one. They then contacted the pharmacy and paid for Mr. Smith's prescriptions while the nurse reviewed with him and his family his new medication regimen. Finally, our social worker referred Mr. Smith to Highlands' Patient Advocate for help with applying for Social Security Disability Income and Medicaid, and will continue to follow up with him to provide assistance as needed.

As he was leaving the clinic, Mr. Smith expressed his gratitude for our assistance and said "you guys have given me hope."

We measure our success one patient at a time.