Mar. 15, 2010: Satellite cancer care

>> FOR MOST CANCER PATIENTS
ONE OF THE MANY CONSEQUENCES
OF THE DISEASE.
HAVING TO MAKE LONG, ANXIETY
INDUCING DRIVES INTO BOSTON
TORE TREATMENT.
THAT'S CHANGING NOW AS
BOSTON HOSPITALS HAVE FOUND
A WAY TO BRING THEIR QUALITY
CARE INTO THE SUBURBS.
JARED BOWEN LOOKS AT A
CANCER CARE CENTRE IN
MILFORD.

>> THERE IS AN INHERENT
HORROR WITH ANYTHING CANCER
DIAGNOSIS.

>> WHEN YOU FIRST HEAR THAT
YOU HAVE CANCER ASSUMING
THAT, OKAY, HOW MANY DAYS,
WEEKS OR MONTHS DO I HAVE
LEFT, YOU KNOW, AND HOW DO I
DEAL WITH THAT, AND IT'S A
HORRIBLE FEELING.

>> Reporter: ONE ONLY
COMPOUNDED FOR MANY
MASSACHUSETTS CANCER
PATIENTS WHOSE ONLY COURSE
OF TREATMENT IS CENTERED AT
BIG CITY HOSPITALS.

>> HAVING BEEN UP THERE FOR
THE DIAGNOSIS PROCESS, IT'S
VERY CROWDED.
THE ELEVATORS ARE SMALL
THERE IS HIGH ANXIETY, THE
TRAFFIC COMING IN AND OUT,
AND THE PARKING.

>> Reporter: BUT IN A HEALTH
CARE MODEL VIRTUALLY
UNPRECEDENTED NATIONWIDE,
MAJOR INSTITUTIONS LIKE
BOSTON DANA-FARBER AND
BRINGHAM AND WOMEN'S ARE
PROVIDING NEW COMFORT IN
CANCER CARE TREATING
SATELLITE CENTERS THAT
PARTNER WITH SUBURBAN
HOSPITALS LIKE MILFORD.

>> ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF
CONNECTING WITH THE BOSTON
IS THAT WE CAN HAVE ACCESS
TO SOME OF THEIR SPECIALISTS
AND SUBSPECIALISTS WHO FOCUS
ON VARIOUS SPECIFIC TYPES OF
CANCER.

>> Reporter: OPENED JUST TWO
YEAR, THE MILFORD CENTER NOW
PROVIDES A HOST OF CANCER
TREATMENTS ONCE EXCLUSIVE TO
BOSTON.
CANCER SUPERSPECIALISTS LIKE
THOSE AT DANA-FARBER WORK
WITH MILFORD'S GENERAL
MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST IN PERSON
OR REMOTELY EVERY STEP OF
THE WAY.

>> WE HAVE A WOMAN, ONE OF
OUR SENIOR BREAST CANCER
DOCTORS THAT COMES OUT HERE
ON WEDNESDAY.
ONE OF OUR PROSTATE CANCER
DOCTORS COMES OUT ON FRIDAY.
AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

>> Reporter: DANA-FARBER
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER A BEST
CANCER SPECIALIST ROUTINELY
VISITS AND CONSULTS WITH HIS
MILFORD COLLEAGUE.

>> THIS IS TO THE
DANA-FARBER COMING OUT TO
THE COMMUNITY AND TAKING
OVER CANCER CARE HERE.
THIS IS DANA-FARBER
PARTNERING WITH THE LOCAL
PHYSICIANS AND THE LOCAL
HOSPITAL AND REALLY
PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE
JOINTLY CONSTRUCTIVE.

>> WOONSOCKET RESIDENT LORI
RECEIVED SIX WEEKS OF
RADIATION AND FIVE MONTHS OF
CHEMOTHERAPY HERE FOR ANAL
CANCER.

>> MY SURGEON IN BOSTON ALL
OF HIS REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE
TO MY DOCTORS AND NURSES
HERE.
IT'S ALL LIKE WE ARE ALL
HAPPENING IN THE SAME ROOM.
AND THEY'RE ALL THE SAME.

>> FRANKLIN'S DAVID ETHAN
RECEIVED SEVEN WEEKS OF
DAILY RADIATION AND SIX
WEEKS OF CHEAM THEY WERE'S
HERE TO TARGET THE CANCER IN
HIS LYMPH NODES.

>> YOU WOULD COME IN EVERY
WEEK AND GET BLOOD WORK
DONE.
WITHIN MINUTES THE DOCTORS
HAD THE INFORMATION THEY
NEEDED TO HELP MAKE A
DIAGNOSIS OF WHAT KIND OF
MEDICATIONS THE GUY WOULD
NEED OR WHAT TYPE OF
CHEMOTHERAPY THEY WERE GOING
TO USE.

>> PATIENT VOLUME IS UP IN
MILFORD MORE THAN ANY OF THE
PARTNERS HERE COULD HAVE
ANTICIPATED.
AND IT'S NOT GONE UNNOTICED
BY OTHER CENTERS.

>> WE'VE HAD SOME VISITORS
FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF NEW
ENGLAND RECENTLY COME BY,
EVEN FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE COUNTRY NOW THAT I AM
THINKING ABOUT IT TO TAKE A
LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED HERE.

>> BOTH McCLEELAND ANDETTEAN
ARE NOW IN REMISSION.
THEIR DEVASTATING DIAGNOSES
AND TREATMENTS MADE SLIGHTLY
LESS SO BY BEING TREATED NOT
IN BOSTON BUT JUST DOWN THE
ROAD.

>> THE BIGGEST TRAFFIC
HASSLE WAS AN OCCASIONAL
SCHOOL BUS OR ONE TIME THERE
WAS SOME TUR CANS IN THE
ROAD.
I HAD TO STOP FOR THAT, THE
WILD TURKEYS COMING BY.

>> ALL RIGHT, JOINING ME NOW
IS DR. LYONIN, A MEDICAL
OFFICER AT THE DANA-FARBER
FUTURE AND DR. TATIANA
LINGOS OF BRINGHAM AND
WOMEN'S HOSPITAL.
WELCOME.
LARRY AND TATIANA, YOU HAVE
STRUCK ON SOMETHING HERE.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN TO
ANYBODY DIAGNOSED WITH
CANCER, YOU KNOW THIS BETTER
THAN I, IS THEY WANT THE
VERY BEST CARE POSSIBLE AND
THEY WANT IT TAILORED
SPECIFICALLY TO THEM.
THEY DON'T WANT TO BE GOING
TO SOME GENERIC HOSPITAL AND
GETTING, YOU KNOW, JUST
GENERIC TREATMENT.
AND THIS HAS MADE THE
DIFFERENCE, CORRECT.

>> IT REALLY HAS.
WE BELIEVE IT HAS.
AND THESE ARE PARTNERSHIPS.
WE'VE GONE OUT AND WORKED
WHAT WE THINK ARE EXCELLENT
PHYSICIANS AND EXCELLENT
HOSPITALS LIKE IN MILFORD.
AND OTHER PLACES.
THIS ALLOWS US TO BRING
DANA-FARBER AND BRINGHAM
CARE OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A SPACE
IN TOWN.
PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO
DRIVE IN TOWN FOR ALL THE
TREATMENTS THEY NEED TO COME
FOR.
THIS ALLOWS THEM TO GET
THOSE TREATMENTS CLOSER TO
HOME.
THE FACILITIES THAT WE
HELPED TO MANAGE WITH THE
LOCAL PHYSICIANS AN LOCAL
HOSPITALS.

>> Rooney: TELL ME WHAT THE
DIFFERENCES ARE, DANA-FARBER,
BRINGHAMS SLOAN-KETTERING,
THESE ARE PLACES THAT
EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO TO.
IF THEY GO SOMEPLACE ELSE IS
THERE A SUBSTANTIALLY
DIFFERENT TYPE OF TREATMENT?
WHY IS IT THAT THESE
HOSPITALS HAVE SUCH
SPECTACULAR REPUTATIONS?

>> I THINK PART OF IT IS
PART OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM
AND THE FACT THAT IT IS A
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
AND THAT EVERYBODY WORKS
TOGETHER IN A COLLEGIAL
MANNER SO THAT ALTHOUGH IT
IS NOT A FORMAL ARRANGEMENT
LEGAL ENTITY DANA-FARBER
BRINGHAM AND WOMEN, WE WORK
TOGETHER SO OUR PHYSICIANS
AND RAD YOTION-- RADIATION
ONCOLOGY ARE BOTH ON THE
STAFF.

>> Rooney: I GUESS I'M
ASKING YOU TO GO ONE STEP
BEYOND THAT.
DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING THAT
THE REST OF THE WORLD
DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT CONDITION
CERTIFICATE TREATMENT.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS, IF
YOU WILL, CANCER THERAPY IS
CHANGING VERY RAPIDLY.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY, TARGETED
THERAPY, THE TYPES OF THINGS
THAT YOU READ ABOUT
FREQUENTLY IN THE NEWSPAPER
NOW.
AND IT'S REALLY TRANSLATING
INTO BETTER CURE RATES FOR
PATIENTS.
IT IS HAPPENING SO QUICKLY
IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT
FOR A COMMUNITY PHYSICIANS,
COMMUNITY HOSPITALS TO KEEP
UP WITH IT, TO HAVE THOSE
TREATMENTS AVAILABLE TO
PATIENTS.
AND THEY ARE ALSO
SPECIALIZED SERVICES WHICH
YOU CAN'T DO IN A COMMUNITY
WITHOUT THESE PARTNERSHIPS.
THINGS LIKE CANCER GENETICS
OR CANCER SURVIVORSHIP,
WHERE WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN
TOWN THAT WE CAN BRING OUT
TO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY COULDN'T REALLY DO
THOSE SORTS OF THINGS ON
THEIR OWN.

>> AND THE BEAUTY IS THAT WE
ARE BUSY IN THE COMMUNITY
SEEING PATIENTS.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING
WITH A UNIQUE SITUATION AND
WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE,
WE CAN JUST SEND AN E-MAIL
OR PHONE CALL AND WITHIN
MINUTES HEAR BACK FROM OUR
COLLEAGUES AND THEY WILL SAY
DO THIS AND THIS AND THIS.
AND THEN LET'S TALK AGAIN
ABOUT IT.

>> Rooney: SO A PATIENT OF
YOURS OUT IN MILFORD IS
ESSENTIALLY A PATIENT OF ONE
OF YOUR COLLEAGUES.
SO YOU ARE A FEEL AND YOU
JUST, YOU WAIT-- IT IS NOT
LIKE --

>> JUST A TEAM.

>> LIKE CALLING THE PLUMBER
WHO MAY CALL YOU BACK IN AN
HOUR AND MAY NOT.

>> NO, NO, I WILL SEND AN
E-MAIL TO THE DOCTOR SAYING
HOW DO I TREAT THIS PATIENT.
I GO IN AND EXAMINE THE
PATIENT.
BY THE TIME I'M GETTING OUT
THE PARENT IS GETTING BACK
IN HIS CLOTHES.
I HAVE AN ANSWER MY E-MAIL.
EVERY ONE OF OUR PATIENTS IS
PRESENTED WITH
TELECONFERENCING BETWEEN
BOSTON AND MILFORD AND EVERY
NEW CASE GETS REVIEWED BY A
PHYSICIAN IN BOSTON.

>> Rooney: WHAT ARE YOUR
PATIENTS TELLING YOU?
I MEAN WE HEARD SOME OF THE
TESTIMONIALS THERE.
YOU HAND PICKED THOSE PEOPLE
FOR US.

>> BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE
HEAR.
PATIENTS ARE COMFORTED BY
THE FACT THAT THEY KNOW THEY
HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE CARE
THAT THEY MIGHT NEED FROM
DANA-FARBER, DON'T HAVE TO
COME IN UNLESS THEY HAVE TO.
AND THERE ARE TIMES THEY
ACTUALLY DO HAVE TO COME IN.
WHEN THERE IS A SERVICE THAT
WE CAN PROVIDE AT THE MAIN
CAMPUS THAT THEY CAN'T
PROVIDE AT MILFORD.
BUT THEN THAT TRIP IS
SEAMLESS.
AT TANYA WAS SAYING WE ALL
KNOW EACH OTHER, WE CAN CORD
NATURE THE CARE, EVERYTHING
IS IN THE SAME MEDICAL
RECORD.
ALL THE INFORMATION IS
AVAILABLE TO ALL THE
PHYSICIANS.
AND THE PATIENTS FEEL THAT.
THEY FEEL THE COORDINATION
AND THEY FEEL THE
CONNECTION.

>> AND THE OTHER THING FOR
THE COMMUNITY IS THAT PRIOR
TO OPENING IN MILFORD
PATIENTS HAD TO DRIVE AT
LEAST 40 MINUTES TO ONE OF
THE OTHER CENTERS.
AND GIVEN THE DOWNTURN IN
THE ECONOMY, PARTICULARLY IN
AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE MILFORD,
A LOT OF PATIENTS WEREN'T
ABLE TO DRIVE THEMSELVES SO
THEY HAD TO HAVE FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO WERE AT RISK OF
LOSING THEIR JOBS AND THEY
WOULD SAY GEE, I CAN'T DO
THIS.
I WILL HAVE TO FOREGO
TREATMENT IF I HAVE TO GO TO
BOSTON BECAUSE I HAVE NOBODY
WHO CAN GET ME THERE.

>> Rooney: ARE THERE OTHER
FACILITIES LIKE THIS OTHER
THAN THE ONE IN MILFORD.

>> WE HAVE ONE IN SOUTH
SHORE HOSPITAL IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
WE ALSO HAVE ONE IN
LONDONDERRY NEW HAMPSHIRE IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ELLIOTT
HOSPITAL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
ONCOLOGY.
SO WE HAVE THREE OF THEM
CURRENTLY OPEN AND ACTIVE.
AND I THINK THEY'VE ALL DONE
THE SAME THING.
THEY'VE BROUGHT REALLY GOOD
CARE AND DANA-FARBER
BRINGHAM SERVICES OUT CLOSE
TO THE HOME.

>> -AND-THE PATIENTS DON'T
FEEL THEY HAVE COMPROMISED
AT ALL.
THEY FEEL THEY CAN DO WHAT
IS BEST FOR THEM, IN THEIR
BEST INTEREST BUT NOT
SACRIFICE THEIR FAMILIES
WELFARE.

>> Rooney: DID YOU USE THE
SAME KIND OF SURGERYS THERE
THAT YOU WOULD DO AT
DANA-FARBER.

>> SOME YES, SOME NO.
AGAIN, THERE ARE SERVICES
THAT WE WILL PROVIDE
DANA-FARBER AND BRINGHAM
THAT WE CAN'T PROVIDE IN
MILFORD.

>> LIKE WHAT.

>> IT VERY COMPLICATED
OVARIAN CANCER SURGERY.
MUCH OF THE OVARIAN CANCER
SURGERY WE CAN DO AT MILL
FORDZ.
ONE OF THEIR BRINGHAM
DANA-FARBER GOES OUT AND
OPERATES THERE BUT SOME OF
THE VERY, VERY COMPLICATED
SURGERIES WE NEED TO BRING
INTO TOWN.

>> Rooney: WHY IS THAT, WHAT
IS THE DIFFERENCE.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE.

>> THERE ARE CERTAIN
TECHNICAL ISSUES WHERE YOU
NEED A CERTAIN TYPE OF TEAM
OF PEOPLE AND CERTAIN
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT FOR
POSTOP RATIVE CARE.
NEUROSURGERY FOR BRAIN
TUMORS WE DON'T DO AT
MILFORD.
WE DON'T DO BONE MARROW
TRANSPLANTS.
IF YOU NEEDS A BONE MARROW
TRANSPLANT YOU COME IN TO
DANA-FARBER AND BRINGHAM AND
GET IT THERE.
BUT FOR MUCH OF CANCER CARE
WE CAN PROVIDE IT, WE THINK,
WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF
EXPERTISE IN MILFORD AND WE
KNOW WHEN WE CAN AN WHEN WE
CAN'T, WE KNOW HOW TO BRING
THE PATIENTS TO GET WHAT
THEY NEED.

>> Rooney: WHAT ABOUT JUST
COMFORTING SOMEONE.
THE FIRST THING THAT
GENTLEMAN SAID YOU ARE
IMMEDIATELY TAKEN OFF THE
NUMBER OF DAYS, WEEKS,
MONTHS THAT YOU HAVE.
I MEAN IS THERE ANYTHING
THAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT THAT
IN TERMS OF THE MENTAL
DIAGNOSIS.
HOW YOU CAN MAKE ANYBODY
FEEL BETTER.

>> WELL, THINGS HAVE REALLY
SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED.
SOME AND THEY ARE GOING TO
GET BETTER.
WE ARE SEEING IMPROVED
SURVIVAL.
WHEN WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING
WE CAN HOPEFULLY MORE TIMES
THAN NOT SAY TO PATIENTS,
YES, WE CAN CURE YOU.
IT GOING TO BE A LONG ROAD
BUT WE WILL GET YOU THROUGH
IT AND WE THERE ETCH REAL
ESTATE STEP OF THE WAY.
THAT ANOTHER BEAUTY, WE HAVE
SOCIAL WORKERS THERE,
NUTRITIONsS, INTERGRATEIVE
THERAPIES SO WE CAN, IT IS
NOT JUST THE PATIENT, IT'S
THE WHOLE FAMILY.
AND WE CAN SAY YUP, IT'S
TERRIBLE BUT WE'RE GOING TO
GET YOU THROUGH IT.

>> I THINK WHEN YOU CAN TELL
SOMEBODY THAT YOU ARE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM
STATE OF THE ART TREATMENT
THAT MAXIMIZES THEIR CHANCES
FOR CURE, PATIENTS DO A LOT
TO BE CURED.
AND YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN
PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF THERAPY
IN A MORE CONVENIENT
LOCATION FOR THEM AND MORE
ACCESSIBLE LOCATION, THAT'S
GREAT.
BUT THEN THEY KNOW IF THERE
IS SOMETHING THEY NEED IN
TOWN, THEY CAN GET IT.
AND THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS
NO COMPETITION BETWEEN US.
AND I THINK-- IT VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT.
THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE-- .

>> Rooney: BECAUSE PEOPLE
RUN AROUND, THEY INTERVIEW
DIFFERENT DOCTORS AN DRIVE
DOWN TO NEW YORK CITY AND DO
THE WHOLE SPIEL DOWN THERE
AND THEN DRIVE UP, TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT.

>> RIGHT.

>> Rooney: LUCKILY I HAVEN'T
HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT MYSELF
BUT I KNOW THAT IS THE WAY
PEOPLE DO IT.

>> RIGHT.

>> Rooney: WHAT ABOUT NEW
YORK, DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND
OF REI-- RESIP ROCK ALL
AGREEMENT.

>> AND IN FLORIDA BECAUSE
YOU HAVE SO MANY DISPLACED.

>> WE DO.

>> Rooney: WE HAVE A LOT OF
SNOW BOARDS AND I WAS IN
FLORIDA WITH MANY OF THEM A
FEW WEEKS AGO FOR THE
DANA-FARBER BALL.
BUT WE DO HAVE SOME
COLLEAGUES, GRADUATES OF OUR
PROGRAM WHO ARE IN FLORIDA.
AND SAR SOCIETYA AND PALM
BEACH AND OTHER PLACES AND
WE HAVE VERY CLOSE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.
AN TO HELP WITH THEIR
PATIENTS COMING BACK AND
FORTH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VERY CLOSE
COLLEAGUES AT MEMORIAL AND
OTHER CANCER CENTRES.
IT IS A TIGHT NIT COMMUNITY.

>> IS IT THE SAME COST BY
THE WAY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE
ANYBODY GOES?

>> I THINK OVERALL THE COSTS
FOR A PATIENT IN MILFORD ARE
GOING TO BE LESS.
THE COST STRUCTURE IN
MILFORD REGIONAL MEDICAL
CENTRE IS A LOWER COST
STRUCTURE THEY DID IN TOWN.
AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE
BEEN ABLE TO SHOW LOOKING AT
OUR STATISTICS THAT WE KEEP
MORE PATIENTS OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY DON'T
NEED TO COME IN TO DONEA FAR
PER FOR THE SERVICES WE CAN
PROVIDE OUT HERE.
SO I THINK FOR THE COST
STRUCTURE THIS IS ALSO A
GOOD THING.

>> Rooney: THANK YOU SO MUCH,
BOTH OF YOU FOR COMING HERE
TODAY.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
EMILY.
APPRECIATE IT.

>> PLEASURE.
THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: THAT IS IT FOR
GREATER BOSTON.
WE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW NIGHT
AT 7:00.
I'M EMILY ROONEY.
GOOD NIGHT.