September 3, 2015
By: John Morris, Salt Lake City, Utah
I’m a 21-month survivor of pancreas cancer. The median length of survival for this disease is five months, so I know how fortunate I am.
People often ask me—carefully—why you? How have you made it this far?
Those are hard questions to answer, but here’s what I know as a patient.
I have a primary care doctor, a surgeon, an oncologist, a radiologist and other clinicians who provide my care. What has most impressed me is the way these people work together with real collaboration and cooperation and how they have empowered me to take an active part in my care. Patients need to be the “CEOs” of their care, and my clinicians encourage that.
My oncologist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah basically became my primary care doctor. I have one point of contact with his staff, who handles scheduling and coordinating the many different providers and specialists I need to see and is easily available to answer questions. I can access all of my treatment records over the Internet.
People often ask me—carefully—why you? How have you made it this far?
Those are hard questions to answer, but here’s what I know as a patient.
I have a primary care doctor, a surgeon, an oncologist, a radiologist and other clinicians who provide my care. What has most impressed me is the way these people work together with real collaboration and cooperation and how they have empowered me to take an active part in my care. Patients need to be the “CEOs” of their care, and my clinicians encourage that.
My oncologist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah basically became my primary care doctor. I have one point of contact with his staff, who handles scheduling and coordinating the many different providers and specialists I need to see and is easily available to answer questions. I can access all of my treatment records over the Internet.
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