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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
HEALTH
Surviving, thriving with cancer in Houston County
Special to the Journal
Houston Healthcare’s 12-
week cancer recovery pro
gram, Survivors - introduced'
earlier this year and one of
only three in the state of
Georgia for cancer patients
and survivors - combines
health education, exercise
and support to those indi
viduals newly diagnosed with
cancer.
According to Beth Jones,
RN, CDE, Director of Houston
Healthcare’s Community
Education and Services, the
goal of Houston Healthcare’s
Cancer Survivor Program is
support and empowerment.
“We want to support our can
cer patients through their
recovery process and treat
ment as well as help empower
and strengthen them physi
cally, mentally and spiritu
ally to improve their quality
of life and help make them a
better informed patient,” she
explains.
Throughout the ongoing
12-week program, partici
pants learn what to expect
during their treatment and
how to cope with the side
effects, ways to combat
fatigue and stress, and how
to eat properly to maintain
their strength and health as
well as how to communicate
Houston Healthcare winner of ACS Region, State sponsorship awards
Special to the Journal
Houston Healthcare was recently
presented the American Cancer
Society’s Sponsorship Award at the
regional and state levels at the 2008
American Cancer Society Summit
in Macon. The Sponsorship Award '
recognizes a business, organization
or community group for outstanding
Mission Delivery and Collaboration
with the American Cancer Society.
Houston Healthcare received the
award for the middle Georgia
region, and then competed with
JL JLouston Healthcare’s Med-Stops offer care for your family’s
minor illnesses and injuries on a walk-in basis when your regular doctor’s office
is closed or when you don’t need the technical services of the Emergency Room.
The Med-Stops are staffed by Board Certified Family Practice and Internal
Medicine physicians working with nurses and medical technicians. Lab and
x-ray services are available on-site.
h 9L Houston Lake
■■ Med-Stop
Hwy. 127 and Moody Road
9884865
Open Mon - Sat
7 am - 6:30 pm
effectively with their physi
cian and caregivers regard
ing their cancer and treat
ment plan. A maintenance
program is also available to
participants following com
pletion of each 12-week ses
sion.
“Research shows that exer
cise can be very beneficial to
a cancer patient, especially
during the treatment pro
cess, in alleviating pain and
boosting morale,” comments
Jones. “We encourage newly
diagnosed cancer patients
to register for the program
as soon as they begin their
treatment so they can reap
the benefits of the exercise,
group Support and health
education offered over the
course of the 12 weeks.”
Current statistics show
that one in two men and
one in three women will be
diagnosed with cancer at
some point in their fives, and
77 percent of all new cancer
cases occur in people over the
age of 55. While cancer is the
second leading cause of death
in the United States today -
with approximately 172,000
new cases being diagnosed
in Georgia each year - the
good news is that millions
of Americans are living well
and longer with cancer due
to advances in early detec
other regional winners for the state
award. Houston Healthcare was
named the overall winner for the
non-metro counties, which includes
72 counties in Georgia.
“Houston Healthcare has
enjoyed a long partnership with the
American Cancer Society over the
years including annual events such
as The Pink Picnic - the breast
cancer awareness luncheon held for
the past 13 years to increase breast
cancer awareness for all women
in Central Georgia, and the Teen
Health Forum, which stresses the
Urgent Care...
when you need it.
tion methods. Today, more
than 65 percent of people in
the United States diagnosed
with cancer live at least five
years after diagnosis and
have the potential to five. 15
years or longer.
According to Jones, an esti
mated 3,500 cancer survivors
five in Houston County and
that number continues to
increase each year. “Statistics
show that three out of four
families will have a family
member diagnosed with can
cer,” she says. “Advances in
early diagnosis and treat
ment methods have made
surviving cancer a reality for
many of our friends, neigh
bors, co-workers and family
members. We have to focus
on helping them live well
after their diagnosis.”
Jones adds that cancer sur
vivorship extends not only to
those individuals who have
been diagnosed with cancer
at some point in their fives,
but also to their friends and
family members who fre
quently fight the battle with
them. She says participants
are encouraged to bring a
designated support person or
caregiver with them to the
meetings.
The medical community
has also embraced the new
program and its potential
JL Pavilion
■T Med-Stop
N. Houston Road at Houston Mall
923-2843
Open Daily
8 am - 7:30 pm
impact on improving the
health and wellness of can
cer survivors. “We are pretty
excited about having a pro
gram such as this available
to cancer survivors here in
Houston County,” comments
Frederick N. Schnell, MD,
FACf? oncologist and mem
ber of the medical staff of
Houston Medical Center.
While recent research
touts the benefits of exercise
in alleviating pain and boost
ing morale, the importance
of rehabilitation and exercise
for cancer patients, especially
during the treatment phase,
is just being realized.
“Exercise in general
improves overall bodily func
tion and encourages the
patients to set and attain
goals for improving their
health. It helps them to feel
fit even when they’re not
by normal standards,” states
Schnell.
Houston Healthcare’s
Survivors meets on Tuesdays
from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., and
Thursdays from 9 a.m. until
10 a.m. at Health Connections
located in the Houston Mall
on North Houston Road in
Warner Robins.
Free to survivors of all can
cers and one designated sup
port person and/or caregiver
of their choice, the program’s
importance of making good Health
choices and the consequences of
making bad choices and is present
ed to every eighth grade student
in Houston County - approximate
ly 2,000 students,” commented
Beth Jones, RN, CDE, Director of
Houston Healthcare’s Community
Education and Services.
In addition, Houston Healthcare
staff facilitate Fresh Start, an ongo
ing smoking cessation program
through the American Gancer
Society with classes held at the
Houston Health Pavilion in the
curriculum includes educa
tion developed through the
National ’I Can Cope initia
tive of the American Cancer
Society, and includes differ
ent health topics each week
related to living with and
surviving cancer followed by
a one hour group and/or indi
vidual exercise class.
Orientation for new
Survivors will be conduct
ed at the beginning of each
month and includes a thor
■ •
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Contributed
Pictured is Linda McConnell, participant of Houston
Healthcare’s Survivors program, with Bry Wooley, exer
cise specialist with Houston Healthcare.
Houston Mall as well as the Look
Good, Feel Better program to assist
cancer survivors with coping with
the physical changes associated
with the disease, added Jones.
This year, staff from Houston
Healthcare’s Community Education
and Services Department complet
ed the national survivor instructor
training program for the American
Cancer Society’s I Can Cope pro
gram, and initiated Houston
Healthcare’s Cancer Survivors
Program, a 12-week education and
fitness program for cancer patients,
Hilary Kate Ellwood, MD
Board Certified, American
Academy of Family Medicine
Kimberley R. Ham, MD
Board Certified, American
Academy of Family Medicine
Cynthia M. Jones, MD
Board Certified, American
Board of Family Medicine
Gayatri Kamat, MD
Board Certified, American
Board of Internal Medicine
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008 ♦
"Someth inq to fee/ qood about"
survivors and their families that
meets at the Houston Health
Pavilion in the Houston Mall twice
per week.
Through Houston Medical Center
and Perry Hospital, HHC offers an
array of medical services and spe
cialties including surgery, ortho
pedics, infectious disease, cardiol
ogy, oncology, obstetrics, behavioral
health, diagnostic imaging and
intensive care for medical, surgical
and neonatal patients as well as
outpatient urgent care centers and
emergency medical services.
Barbara A. Matthews, MD
Board Certified, American
Board of Family Medicine
Jody Velie, MD
Board Certified, American
Board of Family Practice
Ferial Walid, MD
Board Certified, American
Board of Family Medicine
ough health assessment to
determine the patient’s curr
rent fitness and emotional
level. An individualized exer
cise program is then devel
oped and supervised by cer
tified exercise physiologists
and registered nurses.
Participants must be
referred to the Survivors
program by their physician:
To register for the 12-week
program, participants may
call 478-923-9771.
7A
65294