Grady Health System

Breast and GYN Clinic Oncology Social workBy Renee Hillsman

Georgia Cancer Center For Excellence

The Cancer center for excellence is the state’s first and only regional center of it’s kind.

This remarkable facility was created to deliver exceptional cancer care. Each stage of the cancer’s center’s planning and development involved the expert advice and

direction of cancer patients, scientist, physicians, Nurses and social workers. The Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence is staffed by doctors by doctors from Emory and

Morehouse of medicine and is healed by Medical Director Otis Brawley, M.D.

Doctors at the center work closely with a gifted medical team to provide innovative research,

diagnostic, treatment, and support services.

History

The Association of Oncology Social Work was founded in 1984 to meet the unique psychosocial needs of oncology patients and their families at Grady.

Grady Health System

Breast &GYN Clinic Vision Statement: Grady Health system will be the leading public

health care system in the United States.

Mission Statement: Grady Health system improves the health of the community by providing quality and comprehensive health care in a compassionate, culturally competent, ethical and fiscally responsible manner. Grady maintains its commitment to the underserved of Fulton and Dekalb counties, while also providing care for residents of metro Atlanta and Georgia. Grady leads through its clinical excellence, innovative research and progressive medical education and training.

Oncology Social Work

Mission: Hear the voice of their medically underserved patients to meet their needs. Provide creative ways of supporting advocating for patients, and providing hope. Receive the satisfaction of the knowing you are providing hope to medially

underserved patients. (Rayton,2004)

Social Worker’s Role

Complete psychosocial assessment to identify and resolve and emotional, housing, job, food, and financial concerns the patients may have after cancer diagnosis to ensure hope.

Provide information and education regarding community resource and options available to meet identified needs of patients and families. Facilitate referrals to community agencies, such as hospice, Women’s Medicaid Program, and Cancer State Aide, to ensure patient access to appropriate resources.

My role/ responsibilities as a Social

Work student

Patient Referral log Set Agenda For Supervisory Session Perform Pre-Surgery Psychosocial Assessment (Breast/GYN) Mail out GYN Support Group letters every second Tuesday of the month Mail out Breast Clinic Support Group every second Thursday of the month Call GYN patients every third Tuesday of the month Maintain surgery calendar for Breast patients Call Patient after surgery to follow up with patients Keep transportation calendar Release of Record Certified Letters Follow up calls for DNKA patients

Services:

Breast and Cervical Screening Social Security Women’s Medicaid and Cancer State Aid Social Service Emergency Fund Transportation Legal Aid

Emotional Support

American Cancer Society educational groups New Beginnings Breast Cancer Support Group Psychological/ and Psychiatric counseling

Social work counseling session

Who are the patients?

Over one half of the patients served at Grady Hospital are medically underserved. A majority of the patients seen in the Breast and GYN clinic are African American

and Hispanic women. Revenue Source 2003 Medicaid 44% Uninsured 14% Medicare 17% Insurance 8% Self- pay 2% Grants 13% Other 2%

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER MONTH .

The End