SOCIAL SERVICES

Inez Banuelas, MSW, SWA Oncology Social Worker

Cynthia Valentine, RN, BSN Case Manager / Oncology Unit

Recently, a health care team member's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She thanked the case management team for helping her and her family through a difficult time. "Shock and disbelief were two of many emotions felt when my Mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As a professional in the medical field I knew what this diagnosis meant. Worry and fear of what my Mom was going through and how my Mom was going to be taken care of at home was going through my head. That's where the case management team stepped in and helped me and my family stay focused and get through each day. The case management team provided spiritual, emotional and financial support by conducting several family conferences, explaining and referring to outside resources available to us. They also helped with individual family issues as they arose. The team insured that other hospital disciplines such as physical therapy were included in my Mom's treatment plan so that an appropriate discharge plan was achieved for my Mom and my family. I appreciate that they treated me like a person and did not hold certain expectations in regards to my medical background".

Services provided at Del Sol Medical Center include psychosocial, emotional, financial and spiritual counseling. Team members can also refer individuals to community services and assistance programs as needed. The goal of the Social Services/Case Management team is to provide an exceptional array of services to help patients and family members manage during a very difficult time in their lives.

Social Services at this facility are provided through a case management team, which usually consists of a social worker and a nurse. Patient and family needs are met through an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach. All members of the patient's family system are included in the patient's treatment plan. The case management team also organizes family care conferences for physicians and other allied health staff members to help the patients understand his/her diagnosis and prognosis. Family dynamics and emotional support systems are also assessed at this time.

Current standards of care are used to identify those patients who will require assistance in obtaining an appropriate level of care and an optimal level of independence before, during and after treatment. Knowledge and utilization of community resources helps the cancer management team to be effective liaisons between oncology clinics, acute care facilities, skilled nursing facilities and community agencies. Referrals are most frequently made in the areas of advocacy/support, education, enrichment, screenings, lodging, transportation, and temporary or permanent care placements. Team members can also be called upon to use their crisis intervention skills.

To help better serve the needs of the El Paso community, the Social Services/Case Management department participates in several cancer-related support groups. These include "Dialogue", which accommodates patients with all types of cancer (meeting coordinator: Inez Banuelas, MSW, SWA / physician advisor: Mark Aung, MD); "Coping With Breast Cancer", whose programs are tailored especially for women diagnosed with breast cancer and their family members (meeting coordinator: Rosemary Rodriguez, LMSW / physician advisor: Manuel Feliberti, MD); and "Entre Amigos: De Hombre a Hombre", a Spanish language support group for men with prostate cancer (meeting coordinator: Sandra Jaquez, Cancer Registrar / physician advisor: J. Arturo Castro, MD).

During this past year the Oncology and Case Management Departments established a "Bereavement Support Group." The group was designed to help oncology staff members cope with their often-stressful work environment, as well as address their own feelings of loss, whether personal or job related. Three 5-week sessions have been successfully completed and will continue to be held on a quarterly schedule. The support group has now been made available to any hospital employee wishing to participate. All support groups follow guidelines set by the American Cancer Society.