Charleston Oncology Rolls Out Healthcare Decisions Plan to Staff

May 16

A banner image from the Charleston Oncology website with the staff standing together under a mossy oak tree and the words “stronger together” visually imposed next to them.

Charleston Oncology, a private cancer center with five clinics in the Charleston, S.C. tri-county area, is intensifying their advance care planning (ACP) efforts.

During the week of April 12, Charleston Oncology held a series of clinics aimed at normalizing the ACP process.

“One clinic per day was targeted for introducing a Clinic Reference Book, inclusive of My Life My Choices website access and Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) information,” said Liz Robinson, Social Worker for the program. “One of the most rewarding aspects of the week were the great conversations held with the providers.”

The roles of the Social Worker (added in January 2021) and Nurse Practitioner for Palliative Care were presented, along with how they can assist with ACP.

In addition, all staff were challenged to complete their own Health Care Power of Attorney form.

Incorporating ACP into its practice fits perfectly with Charleston Oncology’s mission to provide compassionate and individualized care for cancer patients and their families with a professional and friendly staff. Recognizing that cancer, and its treatments, bring unfortunate side effects, they ensure that every patient is as comfortable as possible.

Charleston Oncology has also been successfully utilizing the My Life My Choices eRegistry for ACP and POST purposes, as well as the brand new on-demand POST training education on the MLMC Academy.

Charleston Oncology’s commitment to their staff and patients about early conversations for ACP is to be applauded.

If you or a loved one is facing a cancer diagnosis, call Charleston Oncology to learn more about the latest, cutting-edge treatments, which are delivered in a local setting. Learn more at www.charlestononcology.com.

About the Community Oncology Alliance: The majority of Americans battling cancer receive treatment in the community oncology setting. Keeping patients close to their homes, families, and support networks lessens the impact of this devastating disease. Community oncology practices do this while delivering high-quality, cutting-edge cancer care at a fraction of the cost of the hospital setting. The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) advocates for community oncology and smart public policy that ensures the community cancer care system remains healthy and able to provide all Americans with access to local, quality, affordable cancer care. Learn more at www.CommunityOncology.org.