Collaboration is the cornerstone of care at Sentara, and our urologists are supported by the experts who are part of our Sentara Cancer Network. Board-certified and fellowship-trained medical professionals from our care facilities regularly come together to tap resources, share knowledge and assist patients.
In many cases, they meet formally in weekly cancer conferences – more often than the Commission on Cancer requires.
Our teamwork means that when you are in one doctor's hands, you are also in many. When our experts gather at weekly conferences to review a patient's background and plan for the future, they welcome opinions from colleagues with other specialties and advanced training. With this multi-disciplinary approach, they ultimately seek ideas and solutions centered around the best care for your cancer.
They ask:
- What challenges does this person face - with this disease or others?
- What treatment could be most effective for this person at this time?
- What clinical trials can we offer?
- How can we make the treatment convenient and the follow-up care even easier?
- How can we meet this person's mental and emotional needs through medical providers and support groups?
- How can we ease pain and speed recovery?
As they discuss possibilities, our providers learn from past patients and each other – and immediately put their new knowledge to work for you.