Combined experiences and strengths provide rich results
Saint Elizabeth Health Care (SEHC) and Comprehensive Care International are working with the Ministry of Health, regional health authorities and local county teams of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (RTT) in a major initiative to enhance its current cancer system through the establishment of a new National Oncology Centre and a National Oncology Program.
SEHC, acting as the home and community-care arm of the project, is helping to design, pilot and implement community-based programs to support Trinidadians and Tobagonians living with cancer. The combined experiences and strengths of local teams and SEHC are providing rich results, as expressed by the RTT Ministry of Health:
"Implementation of this home care programme, with the support of an organization as well-experienced in this area, has provided a jump-start to a very important element of our national cancer services and is simultaneously offering us an opportunity to deepen and expand our current primary care home and community-based services, a cornerstone of our sector reform programme."
The approach is to support and enhance and sustain local capacity, providing initial education and support to community health and facility-based nurses and physicians, as well as to build the necessary linkages, processes, and procedures to facilitate coordination, consistency and continuity of care to the fullest extent possible.
The launch and expansion of the pilots in palliative care or acute care home and community-based services is very exciting. The first client of the palliative pilot in St. George Central (north western Trinidad) is a great example of how the program made a difference – and in an unexpected way! Although this individual required minimal support for cancer-related issues, the assistance of the palliative program’s health care team had a positive effect on his diabetes by stabilizing his blood sugar. As a result, for the first time in months, this man was able to spend a day at the beach with his family. This illustrates how support can truly impact quality of life.
Through this project, SEHC is living our mission and achieving our vision in a whole new way. And at the same time, we are finding the world is getting smaller and friends and colleagues are becoming more widespread!
The SEHC T5 Team includes the wisdom and talent of:
- Nan Clark, Clinical Resource Nurse, Peel Service Delivery Centre
- Marg DiCesare, Manager
- Vicki Lejambe, Clinical Consultant, Palliative and Oncology Care
- Virginia McNaughton, Clinical Consultant, Wound, Ostomy and Continence
- Lesley Larsen, Innovation Seeker and Project Lead