No one ever said going through chemotherapy was an enjoyable experience, but living in a rural area and having to travel regularly to a centre like Edmonton to receive that treatment can make it even more unbearable from an emotional, physical and financial perspective.
The Barrhead Community Cancer Centre was originally established in 1996 with the simple goal of providing services to cancer patients so that they don’t have to contend with the added hardship of being constantly on the road.
“Our mandate is chemotherapy closer to home, so we’re trying to keep people in their communities and not travelling,” said patient navigator Linda Knapp, who works in the Barrhead Community Cancer Centre.
“It improves quality of life when you’re not on the road, and it often improves their financial picture.”
The Barrhead Community Cancer Centre is one of 11 such centres throughout Alberta. Its “catchment area” is very large, encompassing not only Barrhead and Westlock, but also communities like Slave Lake, Kinuso, Swan Hills and Rochester.
On occasion, they also receive patients that live closer to Edmonton, though usually that is usually because they have a relative in the Barrhead area they can stay with while getting treatment.
When the centre was originally established, it consisted of a 522 square foot space in the Barrhead Community Health Centre. Knapp acknowledged that it was a very small area, but they made it work “because it was still really important to us to provide chemo closer to home.”
Today, the cancer centre sits in a space that encompasses an impressive 2,040 square feet, as the centre has evolved in response to patient need.
Inside the centre, you will find six treatment chairs with heat massage and one bed. Donations from the community purchased the chairs, along with six TVs that are drop down from the ceiling, a “vein finder” that provides better visualization when starting IVs, a blanket warmer and a “refreshment centre.”
These little luxuries are mostly the result of donations from the Barrhead Community Cancer Centre’s catchment area, particularly fundraisers like the Bowl for Cancer hosted annually at the Westlock Bowl.
You’ll also find lots of little touches meant to give the centre a more “homey” feel, like animal statues and seasonal decorations. Clinical nurse Donna Nelson is responsible for changing the latter as the seasons change.
“When you put something homey and decorative up, you hear the patients say, ‘Oh, it’s so nice to come in here because you’ve got the Christmas tree up,’” said Nelson.
Also, when a patient is new to the centre, they make up a little “welcome” bag that includes things like a blanket, a water bottle and a few other odds and ends.
This welcoming environment is all part of that goal of helping cancer patients live well while on treatment.
Nelson recalls a patient who was a family member of one of their staff. She was “a tiny little thing” who hardly spoke when she first came to the centre because she was so afraid.
After a couple of visits, she was greeting all the staff as she came down the hall. “She had an enjoyable visit every time she came,” Nelson added.
Another way the centre creates a more welcoming environment is the fact that there are only five staff working there, supported by two physicians with an interest in oncology.
That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with larger cancer treatment centres with bigger compliments of staff, but you tend to be one of many patients being dealt with by many nurses and doctors.
“We have the capacity to know our patient population well, because we know that every time a patient comes, one of the five of us is going to treat them, not one of the 35 at another centre,” Knapp noted.
A lot of times, they get to know the patients quite well, and in turn the patients get to know them.
“We have the ability to do that because we are a rural centre. We understand where they come from, and we truly believe in patient-centred care — chemotherapy closer to home,” noted Knapp.
In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, a total of 139 unique patients received service at the Barrhead cancer centre for a total of 1,984 visits.
Typically, you come to the Barrhead centre after first being diagnosed by an oncologist at the Cross Cancer institute, who lays out a plan of care for each patient.
“We have a super communication pathway with our oncologists at the Cross. They are fabulous with returning calls (and) dealing with any immediate problems in patient trajectory,” said Knapp.
“There is constant communication between the centres. And if we need anything, they are accessible 100 per cent. They’re very supportive of our patient population, and our clinic staff.”
Besides chemotherapy, the Barrhead centre also offers symptom management, counseling, teaching and navigation services, which is part Knapp’s wheelhouse.
Patient navigators assist patients in preparing for visits, supporting financial resources, explaining test results and co-ordinating with other health care professionals.
Knapp noted they are also beginning to offer more immunotherapy, which is a new pillar in cancer treatment that focuses on assisting your immune system fight cancer. Sometimes it is offered in conjunction with chemotherapy and sometimes it is on its own.
The one thing they can’t do is radiation therapy, as it is simply too expensive to offer in a small centre.
It should be acknowledged that while many of the patients they assist are on the road to recovery, some of their patients are in the realm of palliative care —in other words, they are receiving treatment without the expectation of ever getting better.
This line of work means encountering a lot of folks who won’t ever get better, or who have a chance but sadly don’t make it. But even when there is a poor outcome, Knapp said she personally feels she has made a difference in their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
“This is probably one of the best places I’ve ever worked,” she noted. “I love working here. The patients are so appreciative of everything we do. So much of our work is one-on-one. You get to know the patients, they get to know you.”
