Healthy
SUMMER 2019
HAPPENINGS THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
Fauquier Health’s cancer care nursing team
Cancer Care
CLOSE TO HOME Fauquier Health’s new cancer center is opening this fall
How to defend against colorectal cancer
A local surgeon provides experienced colon cancer expertise
It’s All About the
Patient Experience
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HEALTHY HAPPENINGS
New Cancer Center at Fauquier Health opening this fall grounds which will enable them to support their patients’ experience as they journey through treatment. Fauquier Health’s existing cancer program, led by hematologist/ oncologist Raj Manchandani, M.D., offers prevention, education, testing, diagnosis, and treatment at the
infusion center where patients receive immunotherapy and chemotherapy. The intention in the new Cancer Center is to maintain that level of care in a larger, more comfortable environment. Dr. Manchandani explained, “It’s all for our patients’ convenience and comfort. It’s all about the patient experience.” Fauquier County is a small, close-knit community, and Fauquier Health is an organization that recognizes and prizes this. For cancer
PHOTOS BY RANDY LITZINGER
ancer carries with it a whole emotional aspect that some illnesses may not,” said Sandy Shipe, RN and director of the Commission on Cancer-accredited program at Fauquier Health. Consequently, treating cancer requires a special team of qualified and caring providers, as found at Fauquier Health. Due to the cancer program’s growth, Fauquier Health will open a new Cancer Center on the hospital
I work with Dr. Manchandani [center at left] as part of his nursing team, and I’m also a patient. I am an 11year cancer survivor, and I had my treatment here... There’s a lot of joy in this room, which is amazing when you consider the situation, but we hear that from patients every day. Dr. Manchandani is one of the kindest doctors I’ve known, and he’s very easy to talk to. I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s also very much on the front lines with implementing new treatments as they become available. —Treena Larson, RN
patients, this is crucial. The comfort of being cared for in their own community cannot be overstated. The convenience is also paramount. Cancer treatments can be long and tiring, Fauquier Health’s cancer program gives patients the opportunity to stay local and avoid long commutes. While the existing program is housed deep within the hospital
building, the new 25,650 square-foot building will offer a larger space which will be open and airy and filled with light from large windows. Parking will be much more convenient and accessible than at the main hospital building. Patients will be able to receive care and treatments in more comfortable, private surroundings. The location where patients receive infusion — or intravenous — medication will be a larger room with more privacy. The center will also feature an on-site pharmacy for infusion medications, private infusion rooms for patients who may be immunocompromised, conference rooms for meetings and support groups, and physician offices. Part of the building will remain a shell to house future services. In the meantime, Dr. Manchandani maintains close professional relationships with radiation physicians in the area for referral purposes, with whom he confers regularly and often about patient treatments. While the building will be larger, Dr. Manchandani has every intention of keeping the small community aspects that the program now offers, principally the attention and care patients receive from the oncologytrained nursing staff. Also crucial is the
Director of Cancer Servies Sandy Shipe and Jennifer McEachin, Nurse Navigator. According to Shipe and Dr. Manchandani, McEachin is considered one of the strongest parts of the cancer care at Fauquier Health. She guides patients through their cancer treatment journey and helps when needed through education, running support groups, and working to help resolve any barriers to patient care and treatment such as financial or transportation issues.
communication between the nurses and the physicians that is possible in a smaller, close-knit environment. “They are my eyes and ears,” he said. “They keep me informed about every patient.” This cohesive team environment is imperative in providing care for patients.
The new 25,650 square-foot building will offer a bigger space which will be open and airy and filled with light from large windows.
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Colorectal Health
Awareness
Preventative screenings are the most important defense against colorectal cancer
• A persistent change in your
bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool
• Rectal bleeding or blood in your
Mylan Satchi, M.D., Fauquier Health
stool
• Persistent abdominal discomfort,
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olorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S., excluding skin cancers. This type of cancer typically starts as polyps in the colon, which, over time, can become cancerous. Often, colorectal cancer is asymptomatic, so the first line of defense is the screenings that your gastroenterologist can recommend. Mylan Satchi, M.D. of Fauquier Health recommends starting to have this conversation with your physician in your mid-40s, with actual screenings usually starting at around age 50. Dr. Satchi said, “Less than 70 percent of people over 50 are getting screened for colorectal cancer, and anything less than 100 percent is not enough. Everyone over 50 should be screened regularly.” The gold standard of screenings is the colonoscopy. In this procedure, the gastroenterologist or surgeon examines the inside of the rectum and colon looking for and removing polyps. Those polyps are then reviewed by pathology to make sure there are no precancerous or
such as cramps, gas, or pain
• A feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely
• Anemia • Unexplained weight loss
RISK factors:
• Older age
• African American • Personal or family history of colon cancer
• Inflammatory intestinal
cancerous tissues. In the event that a polyp is large or appears to be cancerous, further treatments will be evaluated. Colonoscopies reduce cancer rates by removing polyps before they become cancerous, and detecting cancer in its early stages, which makes the disease much easier to treat, according to Benjamin Wampler, M.D. Fauquier Health and Paul O. Arnold, M.D., and Dr. Satchi can provide gastrointestinal care right here in Fauquier County, eliminating the need for travel and enabling patients to be treated in their own community.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S., excluding skin cancers. 4
HEALTHY HAPPENINGS
SIGNS and symptoms of colon cancer include:
conditions (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)
• Low fiber, high fat diet that is
high in processed and red meats
• Sedentary lifestyle • Diabetes • Obesity • Smoking • Alcohol • Radiation therapy for cancer.
LIFESTYLE changes to reduce risk:
• Eat a variety of fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains, and minimize red and processed meats
• Drink alcohol in moderation • Stop smoking • Exercise most days of the week • Maintain a healthy weight
Colorectal Surgery
PHOTOS BY KARA THORPE
I
at Fauquier Health
n the event a patient is referred to a surgeon for treatment of colon cancer, Fauquier Health offers surgical services. Benjamin Wampler, M.D., is a general surgeon with extensive experience in all surgeries, and a specialty in colorectal surgery. Dr. Wampler is a native of this area who returned to the community after pursuing his medical degree, following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a surgeon at Fauquier Health. He has been with Fauquier Health for 28 years, and has performed hundreds of laparoscopic colon surgeries over the last 20 years. He will soon be joined by two more surgeons with colorectal experience. There are advantages of having qualified surgeons close by. Decreased travel time and reduced stress is a huge plus, and being treated in their own community gives patients the opportunity to develop comfortable and lasting relationships with the local team of caregivers. Follow up visits are likewise easier, and Dr. Wampler, his partners, and his staff are personable and caring. The usual surgical treatment of cancer of the bowel involves the surgeon removing the cancerous section of the intestine, as well as portions above and below it. They also evaluate the lymph nodes, take a look at the abdomen for any further evidence of disease, and assess the liver as well, which is the next likely place for colorectal cancer to spread. Then the segmented intestine is “stapled” back together. The reattached intestine is
Benjamin Wampler, M.D.
There are advantages of having qualified surgeons close by. Decreased travel time and reduced stress is a huge plus, and being treated in their own community gives patients the opportunity to develop comfortable and lasting relationships with the local team of caregivers. typically “ready for use” right away, so people are often up and moving and eating within a few days. Because laparoscopic surgery — often used
to diagnose the source of pain in the pelvis or abdomen — is considered minimally invasive, there can be significantly less pain, patients may heal faster. They may spend less time in the hospital, usually a few days. Of course, colorectal cancer is not the only reason for colorectal surgery. Other colorectal conditions that are treated by surgery include diverticular disease, bowel obstructions, and anal and buttocks diseases such as hemorrhoids, fissures, fistulas, abscesses, and pilonidal disease. All of these are very capably handled by Dr. Wampler and his partners Joseph Farr, M.D., Cindy Dougherty, M.D., and Joseph Brown, M.D. THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
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For the Community
Warrenton’s Mayor believes that Cancer Center will have far-reaching effects
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HEALTHY HAPPENINGS
“When you take our existing cancer program out of the hospital building and give it its own building and location, it’s a much better experience for the patient.” Carter Nevill, Mayor of Warrenton
designed for healing and treating cancer. Patients can take comfort in that. He continued, “Comfort has to bring some degree of success to the treatment. If you know that you’re 10 minutes from home, 10 minutes from all your friends and family as you go through these treatments, that you are not in a foreign place where you’re unknown and unloved, you will feel comforted. You’re going to walk out the door here and be in your home and your community. And that just has to accelerate the path to treatment and healing.” Nevill believes that bringing the Cancer Center to Warrenton will also help increase awareness of all cancers,
and will help educate the community as to the value of cancer prevention and early diagnosis and treatment. Nevill added, “We’re the perfect community to welcome this center, we have a strong community that believes in fighting this disease. Everyone knows a fighter, everyone knows a survivor, and everyone knows someone who’s lost someone. I believe that bringing this cancer center to Warrenton shows that we are a community that cares and a community that takes great pride in being a place of healing.” “For those who fight and for those who have suffered there’s a healing power in understanding that you’re not alone. I think this, above all, is what this cancer center brings. It demonstrates there is support and that support is not an afterthought, it’s something we put front and center and that shows who we are as a community,” said Nevill.
PHOTO BY KARA THORPE
ancer touches you perhaps from afar at first but you start to realize that it’s closer and closer as your perception and awareness grows,” said Carter Nevill, Mayor of Warrenton. He has had some experience with cancer: currently, he has a family member in treatment, but he’s also known friends, acquaintances, and community members who have fought the disease. Nevill said, “The first really personal hit we took as a family was my wife’s sister in law. She was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer that had metastasized to the brain. She lived just four weeks from the diagnosis. And she was one of the healthiest people, a real model of pure living. My wife really wanted to believe her sister in law was going to be one of the ones that survived, one of the miracles. But she didn’t survive, and when she passed, there was just a feeling of pain, of loss, a feeling of being in a vacuum of space and time that you wish upon no one but you know is happening every day. It’s when you are that close to it and it’s that entwined with your family the pain and suffering is tangible, it’s palpable, it’s just something that’s really scary.” Nevill believes that bringing the cancer program to its own building will have far reaching effects for cancer patients and the community. He said, “When you take our existing cancer program out of the hospital building and give it its own building and location, it’s a much better experience for the patient. It will be a dedicated environment specifically
Classes & EVENTS Most classes and lectures are free of cost but still require registration; please visit the Events & Education page at FauquierHealth.org to register, unless otherwise indicated.
Healthy Lifestyles
American Red Cross Blood Drive Please check our online calendar for event dates & times Sycamore Rooms
BLUE CREW Prostate Support Group 2nd Wednesday of the month 5 to 6:30 p.m. Chestnut Room
Medicare Made Easy Tuesday, September 17 1 to 3 p.m.
Call 540-316-2273 to register CREW (Cancer Resources, Education and Wellness) 2nd Monday of the month 5:30 p.m.
Chestnut Room
AARP Safe Driver Course Monday, July 8 8:00 a.m. Friday, September 13 9:00 a.m.
Chestnut Room
Call 540-316-2273 to register.
Sycamore Rooms
AARP Members: $15.00 Non- AARP Members: $20.00 Pay by check on day of class to AARP; to Register: Call 703-5911847 (Ask for David Young)
Support Groups
Addiction Recovery Support Group Tuesdays 7 p.m. Chestnut Room
Call 540-935-8148 to register. Alzheimer's and Dementia-Related Illnesses Support Group 4th Wednesday of the month 4 to 5:30 p.m. The Villa at Suffield Meadows Call 540-316-3800 to register. Beyond Addiction Support Group 3rd Friday of the month 7 to 8 p.m. Chestnut Room
Call 540-364-0065 to register. Breastfeeding Support Group Mondays 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Family Birthing Center
Cancer resources
Bereavement Support Group 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month 1 p.m. Chestnut Room
Call 703-957-1800 to register. Additional Services Offered: ▶ Oncology Nurse Navigation ▶ Smoking Cessation ▶ Nutritional Counseling ▶ Reiki ▶ Look Good, Feel Better Road to Recovery Program ▶ Fauquier Health Wellness Center For more information, please contact Fauquier Health at (540) 316-5000. Diabetes Support Group Tuesday, August 20 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Studio 1 at the Wellness Center
Call 540-316-2644 to register. Families Overcoming Drug Addiction (F.O.D.A.) 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month 6:30 p.m. Chestnut Room
Call 540-316-9221 to register.
Lyme Disease Support Group Thursday, September 19 6:30 p.m. Sycamore Rooms
Call 540-341-8245 to register. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Connections-Individuals Living With Mental Challenges 3rd Monday of the month 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sycamore Rooms
Call 540-347-9104 to register. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Piedmont Family Support Meeting 3rd Monday of the month 6:00 to 8 p.m. Sycamore Rooms
Call 540-347-9104 to register. Stroke Support Group 1st Wednesday of the month 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Chestnut Room
Youth Diabetes Support Group Tuesday, September 17 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Studio 1 at the Wellness Center
Call 540-316-2644 to register.
For Parents
Baby Basics 101 Tuesdays, August 6 and September 17 7 to 8:30 p.m. Family Birthing Center
Breastfeeding Made Simple Tuesday, August 13 7 to 8:30 p.m. Family Birthing Center
Your Childbirth Experience (a two-session class) Please check our online calendar for event dates & times Family Birthing Center
▶ Updates and more events at: fauquierhealth.org/community THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PPCO
Published quarterly by
500 Hospital Drive Warrenton, VA 20186 Chad Melton President/CEO For more information on Fauquier Health services, call (540) 316-DOCS
Stay
IN TOUCH Fauquier Hospital 540-316-5000
Medical Imaging 540-316-4500 (Fauquier Hospital)
Sleep Center 540-316-2660
Patient Scheduling 540-316-5800 or 866-341-0845
Outpatient Registration 540-316-5819
The Villa at Suffield Meadows 540-316-3800
Patient Accounts 540-316-2970
Volunteer Services 540-316-2910
Patient Information 540-316-INFO (4636)
Wellness Center 540-316-2640
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 540-316-2680
Wound Healing Center 540-316-HEAL (4325)
Physician Referral 540-316-DOCS (3627) or 800-322-7500 Program Registration 540-316-3588 Family Birthing Center 540-316-4000 Home Care Shop 540-316-4437
Fauquier Health Rehabilitation & Nursing Center (FHRNC) 540-316-5500