WVU Cancer Institute lung cancer survivorship program expands to United Hospital Center

The WVU Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention and Control has expanded its Bridge Program that focuses on lung cancer survivorship to United Hospital Center (UHC) in Bridgeport. The goal of the Bridge Program is to improve the coordination of care and decrease the consequences of treatment for patients diagnosed with stage I, II, or III lung cancer after they complete treatment.

“It has been an exciting opportunity to be part of this project from the early stages with the WVU Cancer Institute, as a gap in care has been identified for the lung cancer survivors of West Virginia,” Linda Carte, RN, MSN, AOCN, vice president of oncology and post-acute care at United Hospital Center, said. “While lung cancer survivors are the first to have the opportunity to participate in this Bridge Program, it is a model that can certainly be extended to all those surviving cancer to improve quality of life after diagnosis and treatment. We are looking forward to this ongoing collaboration to improve cancer care for the many communities we serve.”

The Bridge Program brings together healthcare professionals from multiple disciplines to create a comprehensive care plan tailored to the specific needs of each patient. During a half-day clinic, each patient has the opportunity to meet individually with a nurse practitioner, licensed social worker, dietitian, psychiatrist, physical therapist, and occupational therapist.

The program is funded by the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation’s "Bridging Cancer Care" initiative.