Markey Cancer Center's Response to COVID-19
Dr. Mark Evers discusses Markey Cancer Center's Response to COVID-19.
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Mark Evers, MD, FACS
Mark Evers, MD, FACS
Mark Evers, MD, FACS is the Director, Markey Cancer Center.Learn more about Mark Evers, MD, FACS
Transcription:
Markey Cancer Center's Response to COVID-19
Introduction: Another informational resource from UK Healthcare. This is UK HealthCast. Featuring conversations with our physicians and other healthcare providers. Here's Melanie Cole.
Melanie Cole: Welcome to UK HealthCast with the University of Kentucky Healthcare today we're talking about the Markey Cancer Centers response to COVID-19. Joining me is Dr. Mark Evers. He's the Director of Markey Cancer Center with UK Healthcare. Dr. Evers, it's a pleasure to have you join us. Thank you so much. These are unprecedented times for medical care across the board, but for cancer patients, this can be an especially difficult time to navigate with COVID-19 changing how clinics and offices are operating at Markey Cancer Center. Give us a little bit of an overview of what procedures and treatments are still going on for patients with cancer.
Dr. Evers: Absolutely. These are very much unprecedented times, I have to say. But cancer doesn't shelter in place. So we have continued to see our cancer patients throughout this entire crisis. We have had a number of proactive measures to ensure that only our patient's safety, but our staff safety as well. We've been conducting phone screens with our patients prior to their clinic business to ensure that they are not sick or showing any signs of COVID-19. We've ensured a safe environment by minimizing risks such as a visitor restrictions in place. We also screen our employees every morning and we've been promoting social distancing.
Host: So expand a little bit more, Dr. Evers, if you would. We've all seen and heard news regarding PPEs and how facilities are working around whether they have adequate supply or not. What is the Markey Cancer Center doing to keep patients safe? Many of whom have compromised immune systems.
Dr. Evers: That's exactly right. So, that is one concern and certainly PPE has not been an issue for us. I mean, we, we've maintained stocks of our PPE. So in addition we are screening our most immunocompromised patients for COVID-19 to ensure that that they don't have that or will not be infected with that. But those are patients, our preoperative patients, for example we have mandatory screening for those patients and also for our bone marrow transplant patients.
Host: Then tell us, Dr. Evers, would you say Markey Cancer Center is still capable of taking care of patients that need cancer care despite this crisis and what would you like them to know about continuing with their regimen, whether they've got chemo, radiation, infusion treatments, what's being done for them, and what would you like to say?
Dr. Evers: Right, so again, you know, I would like to emphasize to all of our patients that the Markey Cancer Center throughout this crisis has maintained an entirely safe environment. Our patients have still been coming and have been assured that that all safety measures are in place. Again, we've been very diligent to ensure the prescreening of our patients to ensure no symptoms of COVID-19. Our most immunocompromised patients are dealt with in an extremely safe fashion with employees with PPE and all screened beforehand, before their infusions.
Host: Do you have some extra precautions that you'd like cancer patients to know? To protect themselves as they are, as we said, more susceptible to developing severe symptoms?
Dr. Evers: Right. So certainly, you know, wearing mask, maintaining the social distancing, you know, staying in place when that's appropriate. And I'll have to also mention that we have shifted to doing telehealth visits as well for those patients who are, for those patients who is appropriate to do that. And certainly we've increased the number of patients who have been seen by our Telecare visit usage.
Host: And what about some of the things like immunotherapy, are these able to be done now or are these too immunosuppressive? What do you want patients to know about some of the trials and new therapies available?
Dr. Evers: Right. So again, you know, we feel that these treatments are certainly lifesaving for our patients. And we have, we exert extreme caution in terms of how we deal with our patients during this time. But we've continued with our chemotherapy and we've continued with our clinical trials, which are also lifesaving. And I would have to say that our clinical trial visits have possibly even increased during this time.
Host: Well, that's very encouraging. And one of the more important aspects of all of this is to help the patients with stress and to manage the emotional challenges of not only a cancer diagnosis but this COVID-19 pandemic as well.
Dr. Evers: Yes, that's correct. And I would say that our social health workers are fielding calls, probably increased calls now from our patients, as well as patient families, asking about these issues. And again, they've been very reassuring to all of our patients and their families. But that certainly has, we've certainly seen an uptick in those types of concerns as well.
Host: And what about patients that are worried that maybe their doctors, their oncologists might be diverted in an emergency setting and may not be available when they need them? Will that be the case? Give a little reassurance that you're there for treatments, questions, counseling, all of that.
Dr. Evers: Absolutely. No. I mean, there were plans in place say if a surge had occurred that doctors in various areas but not cancer would get, would get pulled away to do field work and that sort of thing. But I can definitely reassure all of our patients that our doctors are here maintained in place, and are very open and available to, to see patients in a very safe and warm environment.
Host: As we wrap up, Dr. Evers, please tell patients what you'd like them to know about Markey Cancer Center's response to COVID-19. The treatments that they should still be maintaining their medical care, this continuum of care that is so important for cancer patients.
Dr. Evers: That's, that's absolutely correct. So we just again, reassure our patients that as pre COVID times the Markey has always been there for our patients. This is nationally recognized Cancer Center that certainly has the patients and our staff at the forefront. We just again, reassure patients those who are in the midst of their cancer treatments to maintain those treatments. It's very important that those continue in a very safe fashion which the Markey Cancer Center can offer. For those patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer, it's also extremely important that they see their oncologist or their surgeons at this time as well. But also for those patients who, who may be well and may be candidates for telehealth then that's an option as well. Once again, as we wrap this up, I'd really like to reassure our patients and their families out there that the Markey Cancer Centers there for them. We continue to maintain a very safe environment through these very stressful times. If there are any questions or concerns we are definitely here to take those questions and concerns.
Host: Thank you so much Dr. Evers. Such an important topic and thank you for giving us really encouraging information about the Markey Cancer Center's response to COVID-19. To learn how UK Healthcare is dealing with COVID-19 please visit our website at ukhealthcare.uky.edu/covid-nineteen. That concludes another episode of UK HealthCast with the University of Kentucky Healthcare. Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other University of Kentucky Healthcare podcasts. I'm Melanie Cole.
Markey Cancer Center's Response to COVID-19
Introduction: Another informational resource from UK Healthcare. This is UK HealthCast. Featuring conversations with our physicians and other healthcare providers. Here's Melanie Cole.
Melanie Cole: Welcome to UK HealthCast with the University of Kentucky Healthcare today we're talking about the Markey Cancer Centers response to COVID-19. Joining me is Dr. Mark Evers. He's the Director of Markey Cancer Center with UK Healthcare. Dr. Evers, it's a pleasure to have you join us. Thank you so much. These are unprecedented times for medical care across the board, but for cancer patients, this can be an especially difficult time to navigate with COVID-19 changing how clinics and offices are operating at Markey Cancer Center. Give us a little bit of an overview of what procedures and treatments are still going on for patients with cancer.
Dr. Evers: Absolutely. These are very much unprecedented times, I have to say. But cancer doesn't shelter in place. So we have continued to see our cancer patients throughout this entire crisis. We have had a number of proactive measures to ensure that only our patient's safety, but our staff safety as well. We've been conducting phone screens with our patients prior to their clinic business to ensure that they are not sick or showing any signs of COVID-19. We've ensured a safe environment by minimizing risks such as a visitor restrictions in place. We also screen our employees every morning and we've been promoting social distancing.
Host: So expand a little bit more, Dr. Evers, if you would. We've all seen and heard news regarding PPEs and how facilities are working around whether they have adequate supply or not. What is the Markey Cancer Center doing to keep patients safe? Many of whom have compromised immune systems.
Dr. Evers: That's exactly right. So, that is one concern and certainly PPE has not been an issue for us. I mean, we, we've maintained stocks of our PPE. So in addition we are screening our most immunocompromised patients for COVID-19 to ensure that that they don't have that or will not be infected with that. But those are patients, our preoperative patients, for example we have mandatory screening for those patients and also for our bone marrow transplant patients.
Host: Then tell us, Dr. Evers, would you say Markey Cancer Center is still capable of taking care of patients that need cancer care despite this crisis and what would you like them to know about continuing with their regimen, whether they've got chemo, radiation, infusion treatments, what's being done for them, and what would you like to say?
Dr. Evers: Right, so again, you know, I would like to emphasize to all of our patients that the Markey Cancer Center throughout this crisis has maintained an entirely safe environment. Our patients have still been coming and have been assured that that all safety measures are in place. Again, we've been very diligent to ensure the prescreening of our patients to ensure no symptoms of COVID-19. Our most immunocompromised patients are dealt with in an extremely safe fashion with employees with PPE and all screened beforehand, before their infusions.
Host: Do you have some extra precautions that you'd like cancer patients to know? To protect themselves as they are, as we said, more susceptible to developing severe symptoms?
Dr. Evers: Right. So certainly, you know, wearing mask, maintaining the social distancing, you know, staying in place when that's appropriate. And I'll have to also mention that we have shifted to doing telehealth visits as well for those patients who are, for those patients who is appropriate to do that. And certainly we've increased the number of patients who have been seen by our Telecare visit usage.
Host: And what about some of the things like immunotherapy, are these able to be done now or are these too immunosuppressive? What do you want patients to know about some of the trials and new therapies available?
Dr. Evers: Right. So again, you know, we feel that these treatments are certainly lifesaving for our patients. And we have, we exert extreme caution in terms of how we deal with our patients during this time. But we've continued with our chemotherapy and we've continued with our clinical trials, which are also lifesaving. And I would have to say that our clinical trial visits have possibly even increased during this time.
Host: Well, that's very encouraging. And one of the more important aspects of all of this is to help the patients with stress and to manage the emotional challenges of not only a cancer diagnosis but this COVID-19 pandemic as well.
Dr. Evers: Yes, that's correct. And I would say that our social health workers are fielding calls, probably increased calls now from our patients, as well as patient families, asking about these issues. And again, they've been very reassuring to all of our patients and their families. But that certainly has, we've certainly seen an uptick in those types of concerns as well.
Host: And what about patients that are worried that maybe their doctors, their oncologists might be diverted in an emergency setting and may not be available when they need them? Will that be the case? Give a little reassurance that you're there for treatments, questions, counseling, all of that.
Dr. Evers: Absolutely. No. I mean, there were plans in place say if a surge had occurred that doctors in various areas but not cancer would get, would get pulled away to do field work and that sort of thing. But I can definitely reassure all of our patients that our doctors are here maintained in place, and are very open and available to, to see patients in a very safe and warm environment.
Host: As we wrap up, Dr. Evers, please tell patients what you'd like them to know about Markey Cancer Center's response to COVID-19. The treatments that they should still be maintaining their medical care, this continuum of care that is so important for cancer patients.
Dr. Evers: That's, that's absolutely correct. So we just again, reassure our patients that as pre COVID times the Markey has always been there for our patients. This is nationally recognized Cancer Center that certainly has the patients and our staff at the forefront. We just again, reassure patients those who are in the midst of their cancer treatments to maintain those treatments. It's very important that those continue in a very safe fashion which the Markey Cancer Center can offer. For those patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer, it's also extremely important that they see their oncologist or their surgeons at this time as well. But also for those patients who, who may be well and may be candidates for telehealth then that's an option as well. Once again, as we wrap this up, I'd really like to reassure our patients and their families out there that the Markey Cancer Centers there for them. We continue to maintain a very safe environment through these very stressful times. If there are any questions or concerns we are definitely here to take those questions and concerns.
Host: Thank you so much Dr. Evers. Such an important topic and thank you for giving us really encouraging information about the Markey Cancer Center's response to COVID-19. To learn how UK Healthcare is dealing with COVID-19 please visit our website at ukhealthcare.uky.edu/covid-nineteen. That concludes another episode of UK HealthCast with the University of Kentucky Healthcare. Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other University of Kentucky Healthcare podcasts. I'm Melanie Cole.