Survivorship Program
The Cancer Survivorship Program serves patients before, during and after cancer treatment to assist with decision making, assistance with treating symptoms from cancer therapies, and coordination of care between cancer specialists and a patient’s individual primary care physician. The program may be especially important for patients with ongoing physical, emotional and practical challenges as a result of their cancer treatments.
The Cancer Survivorship Program provides:
- A Cancer Treatment Summary and Follow-up Care plan for patients who have completed cancer treatment
- Information and support to help reduce the risk for cancer recurrence or new cancers
- Assistance with decision making regarding cancer therapies and follow-up
- Expanded interventions for the treatment of late-onset and long-term physical and emotional effects of cancer therapies that may include:
- Premature menopause and/or menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, bladder discomfort, incontinence, vaginal dryness, sleep disorder
- Loss of bone mineral density and development of osteoporosis and fractures
- Lymphedema
- Infertility
- Sexual dysfunction
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Generalized arthralgias due to anti-estrogen therapies
- Chronic pain syndromes, including post-mastectomy chest wall pain syndrome
- Depression and/or Anxiety
- Hypervigilance and fear of recurrence
- Post-Traumatic stress disorder
- Exacerbation of pre-existing mental health conditions
- Referrals to community resources, including integrative and complementary services to help with cancer recovery and wellness
Ask your doctor if you might benefit from a consultation with the Cancer Survivorship Program. Or call 707-525-6623.
In her variety of roles as a physician, medical leader, and patient advocate, Dr. Shaw developed a special interest and expertise in the supportive care of patients who are being treated for cancer and patients who continue to experience long-term complications after the completion of cancer therapies. Her perspective as a Family Physician has allowed her to understand that cancer, more than almost any other disease, presents unique challenges to the patient, her family, and the community as a whole. She decided to leave the field of primary care medicine in 2011 and became the Medical Director of the Cancer Survivorship Program with the Redwood Regional Medical Group, now St. Joseph Regional Cancer Care.
Dr. Shaw is a nationally recognized expert in cancer survivorship and speaker on subjects such as the important role of primary care in cancer survival, treatment of menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors and the ongoing need for treating the lasting effects of cancer therapies after cancer treatments have ended.
Traci Stockton is the Coordinator of Cancer Survivorship Care. She has been part of the healthcare field for over 25 years. Traci has worked in multiple specialty settings within the healthcare system ranging from intensive care, emergency, urgent care, and oncology. She has also worked as a certified E.M.T. for Advanced Life Support ambulance. As she worked with Dr. Amy Shaw in a previous position it was clear that they work extraordinarily well as a team and together they came to Providence to be an integral part of the Regional Cancer Care team.
Traci is Clinically California Board Certified. In addition to her attributes to the Cancer Survivorship Program at St. Joseph Regional Cancer Care Center, she also enjoys teaching first aid, CPR and participating in disaster preparedness. Traci thrives in a learning and supportive environment and says it is easy to find that here.
Sharon works as the care management coordinator and certified patient navigator at St. Joseph Health Regional Cancer care for the Breast Center and Survivorship Care. She works alongside the Breast Surgeons, Medical Oncologists, Radiation Oncologists, Radiologists, certified Genetic Counselor, Breast surgery and Survivorship Nurse Practitioner, and Medical Assistants. Sharon works directly with the Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Navigator as they see new patients. Additionally, Sharon provides non-clinical support as she helps coordinate each person’s care by reviewing with each patient their personal St. Joseph Cancer Care Breast Binder and the support resources available to the community. She strives to be a bridge between the team and the patients, providing support and resources to ease the patient’s very personal walk down this new, often overwhelming and frightening path.
In addition to her work as a patient navigator and care coordinator, she has facilitated the establishment of new, integrative, health support programs at Providence that are open to the whole community. These programs complement our mission to treat the whole person; mind, body and spirit.
- Art From the Heart is an art therapy program that was modeled after UCSF’s Art For Recovery program that Sharon attended as a patient.
- Gentle Yoga is a yoga class for cancer patients. This group lends itself to a time of meditation, information sharing, gentle movement and deep relaxation.
- Living Well With Cancer is a combination support group/gentle yoga class for patients living with stage IV/metastatic disease.
- Survivorship Speaker Series is a monthly program that invites providers to speak on various topics relevant to cancer.
For more information on these Support Services, click here.
The goal of the team at St. Joseph Health Regional Cancer and Survivorship Care is to walk with each patient on their personal journey through this difficult time from the moment of diagnosis, taking care of the whole person, mind, body, and spirit throughout the entire cancer process.
There is a deep commitment to creating a partnership with every patient and the establishment of a shared decision making process to treatment options.
Providence facilitates a variety of support services because it sees great value for the patients in the coordination of integrative programs and events that bring the community together. Patients have proven this as they express the team’s goal, Together We Are Stronger.
It is the team’s mission at St. Joseph Health Regional Cancer and Survivorship Care to bridge the gap between the primary care physicians and medical oncologists.