How cancer survivorship support can benefit all patients | OSUCCC - James

Cancer survivorship starts at diagnosis, requiring support for patient and families to maximize quality of life before, during and after treatment.
“People are living longer with cancer, so we work to make sure they have the best quality of life during their treatment and the years beyond,” says Denise Schimming, APRN-CNP, a certified nurse practitioner and survivorship specialist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James).
Schimming is joined in her support work by Julie DeBord, MSW, LISW-S, a manager of JamesCare for Life (JCFL), a group of multidisciplinary experts who create and oversee a wide variety of support programs.
“JamesCare for Life has been around for more than 20 years,” DeBord says. “We started with 10 programs and now we average more than 30 a month. We’re continually looking at how can we meet the needs of our cancer patients and their families.”
JCFL experts strive to address all areas of life affected by cancer, with programs focused on nutrition, physical therapy, mental health and cancer condition and treatment education, as well as outside-the-box offerings like music, art and gardening programs, and even equine therapy.
“Cancer can be isolating and scary and we have educational classes to help with coping during times of uncertainty to manage stress, mindfulness programs for stress reduction and support groups and one-on-one care support,” DeBord says.
Schimming and DeBord work together to meet the needs of patients and create new programs tailored for all stages of cancer. One example is the recent addition of two certified child-life specialists, one of whom works with patients in outpatient settings, while the other focuses on inpatient support.
“We heard from patients who didn’t know how to tell their children and their grandchildren about their cancers,” Schimming says. “Our new specialists help families cope, and we created a special playroom at The James for these interventions.”
Another new program is devoted to helping adolescents and young adult (AYA) patients navigate their cancer treatment and survivorship.
“We have a social worker who specializes in working with AYA patients,” Schimming says. “We have hands-on programs for young adults to come together and connect with others sharing similar experiences,” DeBord adds.
Learn how JamesCare for Life supports cancer patients and their families at Ohio State: go.osu.edu/Cr3s
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