Outreach Clinic for Antigonish

Cancer patients in the Antigonish area will soon be able to receive care closer to home. Health care professionals from Cancer Care Nova Scotia, St. Martha's Regional Hospital and the Cape Breton Cancer Centre, are meeting today in Antigonish to discuss opening a cancer outreach clinic.

The clinic will be staffed by oncologists and other health care professionals from the Cape Breton Cancer Centre, and would serve people in northern Nova Scotia and nearby parts of Cape Breton. The outreach clinic would not require new facilities or expense beyond travel expenses.

Liz Isenor, facility manager of St. Martha's Regional Hospital said she sees numerous benefits for local cancer patients.

"An outreach clinic will definitely reduce some of the stress for patients during a difficult time because they won't have to travel as far as they do now," she said. "Also, our staff are looking forward to working closely with oncologists and other cancer specialists."

Plans for the clinic include monthly visits by a medical oncologist, as well as specialists in radiation oncology, palliative care, surgical oncology, nursing and other members of the full-care team a cancer patient might see in the course of treatment. New patients will be assessed, patients on treatment seen, and case management consultations will be organized with community health care professionals.

"In Sydney, the cancer treatment centre has been a tremendous benefit for patients from our community needing treatment and follow-up care," said Dr. Maqmood Naqvi who is medical director at the Cape Breton Healthcare Complex which houses the Cape Breton Cancer Centre.

"It's easy to understand how access to a cancer care team will help people in northeastern Nova Scotia. We are pleased to be able to share our resources with them," he said.

In addition to discussions for the outreach clinic, Dr. Andrew Padmos, commissioner of Cancer Care Nova Scotia will outline details on the agency's proposed District Cancer Model with hospital and medical staff.

"One of our goals is to provide the same standard of high-quality cancer care across the province with the same level of access for everyone," said Dr. Padmos. "The long-term goal of the District Cancer Model is to have a spectrum of services from screening to palliation available right in communities. Outreach clinics are one part of this vision."

Monthly outreach clinics opened in New Glasgow and Yarmouth this month. Cancer Care Nova Scotia is a program of the provincial Department of Health. It has a mandate to co-ordinate, strengthen and evaluate cancer services in Nova Scotia.