Cancer Care Central

Radiation Oncology Department opens at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital

Patients can now receive comprehensive cancer treatment closer to home. Radiation oncology services are available in the new, freestanding five-story Inova Comprehensive Cancer & Research Institute – Fair Oaks. The Inova Breast Care Center and remainder of the institute will open later this year.

“One of our primary goals for building a Cancer Center is to offer a place where patients can come and experience a higher level of coordinated care, which is not only better from the patient experience standpoint, but is actually proven to result in better outcomes for patients,” says Ann Miner, Director of Cancer Services at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital.

Robert Ahmed, MD, notes that one of the most attractive aspects of the center will be that all the services will be centralized on one campus. “They can see me in my office and I can send them off for an X-ray or mammogram,” he says. “I can then send them across a parking lot to a radiation oncologist or to the hospital to have surgery. They won’t have to travel too far, and it makes it very convenient for them to be on the same campus to really get almost all that they need done.”

The cancer care team brings together the highest level of expertise and medical technology with a supportive, compassionate approach where each patient’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs are addressed from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up care.

Each individual patient who walks through the doors of the new center will have the support of a wide array  of specialists including medical and  surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, oncology nurses, patient care navigators, dietitians, social workers  and genetic counselors. The center also provides Life with Cancer™, a free  program dedicated to supporting patients and their families throughout their cancer journey and beyond.

Lighting the Way

The hallmark of the new Cancer Center is a state-of-the-art Radiation Oncology Department, which opened in March.

“In the past, patients in the Fair Oaks  community have had to go to Inova  Fairfax Hospital or elsewhere for their daily radiation therapy,” says radiation oncologist  Stella Hetelekidis, MD. “With the new Radiation Oncology Department at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, patients will be able to have their treatment closer to home.”

The Radiation Oncology Department features the Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator, ensuring the highest level of accuracy and precision. The system allows for the treatment of many  different sites throughout the body while providing shorter treatment times and utmost comfort for the patient.

The Cancer Center’s experienced radiation oncology group works in close concert with a team of cancer specialists to treat all types of adult cancer, including  breast, prostate, colorectal, head and neck, gynecologic, lung, gastrointestinal, brain and lymphomas.

“We work very closely with patients’ surgeons and medical oncologists to provide patients with the best multidisciplinary care,” says Dr. Hetelekidis.

Integrated Care

A team approach is at the heart of the center’s care philosophy. “Our level of knowledge of cancer care and the technology involved has become very complex to the point where care cannot be delivered by only one person or one physician,” says Hernan Vargas, MD, a breast surgeon at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. “By integrating the patient’s care we  can provide better care, which not only produces better medical outcomes but also supports the entire person.”

A team approach means the entire cancer team works closely with referring colleagues.

“What we are doing is bringing the highest technology and the newest concepts of cancer care to the setting of a community hospital,” says Dr. Vargas. “When a patient comes in we will be  able to have input from all the providers caring for the patient.”

Compassionate Care

To promote the well-being of patients and their families, all services at the center will be delivered in a soothing environment featuring nature-inspired themes.

“The design of the spaces and the way we deliver service in our cancer center is planned to make the patient feel as if the experience is designed just for him or her  today,” says Miner. “The center has a modern feel to it but at the same time is with a warm, nature-infused environment.”

Calming spaces in the new center are designed to make patients and their families feel welcome and comfortable. Visitors will be able to partake in amenities such as a café, a coffee bar, soothing outdoor healing garden and a peaceful meditation room.

Navigating Your Journey

Having a cancer diagnosis is hard enough; having  to arrange for medical treatment is an enormous task that involves  contacting many different specialists. At Inova Fair Oaks Hospital’s Cancer  Center, patient care navigators are available to assist patients every step of the way by coordinating the specialists involved in diagnosis and treatment. Patients can also seek the navigator as  a resource for scheduling  appointments, joining support groups, accessing  the center’s resources and obtaining financial and insurance guidance.

“Patient care navigators are an all-encompassing support system for the patient,” says Ann Miner, Director of Cancer Services. “They work in an integrative fashion to make sure the patient’s needs are met.”

Quiet Spaces

In addition to attending to the physical  needs of each individual receiving care, the Cancer Center will provide a healing garden where patients and their families can relax and rejuvenate.

“The healing garden is going to have  a real sense of movement and flow with a lot of curved lines and walking  paths,” says Ann Miner, Director of Cancer Services at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. “It will have pockets of private space so if a family needs to come and sit, and they want to have privacy, they can retire to one of the smaller groupings of seating. Or there’s a more public area with tables where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and be in nature.”

Attached to the healing garden will be a meditation room where patients and families can spend time reflecting in a nurturing environment.

“We really want the meditation room to be a resource to help people deal with what can be a very stressful time,” says Miner. “It will be a beautiful, calming space.”

At Your Doorstep

For information on cancer care services at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, call 703.391.4250 or visit  www.inova.org/FairOaksCC.