Our Mission at Waverly Hematology Oncology
The mission of Waverly Hematology Oncology is to enhance and improve the health and well being of our patients through personalized, competent and compassionate care and research in an environment committed to honesty, excellence, and teamwork.
How We Comply to Our Mission
Primary Nursing: At Waverly Hematology Oncology (WHO) we pride ourselves on our unique ability to offer infusion patients a Primary Nurse. The care of each patient is managed by one nurse who directs and coordinates all facets of the patient’s treatment, schedules all tests and procedures, cares for the patient on the day of infusion, and is the point of contact for all patient concerns. Some advantages for having a Primary Nurse are: continuity of care for the patient, accountability of the nurse for that care, and patient-centered care that is comprehensive, individualized, and coordinated.
Clinical Trials: WHO is able to offer patients cutting edge therapy by participating in clinical trials. Patients will have access to state-of-the-art treatments normally found at large academic facilities while receiving personalized, community-based care. WHO is the only Triangle site of the SCCC (Southeast Cancer Control Consortium, Inc), a consortium of 23 practices in 5 states. Of the 50 regional CCOP's (Community Clinical Oncology Program) in the US, the SCCC is the #1 CCOP over a 20-years period. Through this research program, patients have access to state of the art treatments, normally found at large academic facilities while receiving personalized community-based care. Today’s clinical trial treatment may become tomorrow’s standard of care. WHO has a special interest in the development of CTC's in management of patients with metastases of solid tumors. See below under "CTC's."
Cancer Genetics Program: Dr. Mark Graham was a co-founder of a cancer genetics program at UNC in the early 1990's. The practice continues this interest. Cecile Skrzynia MS, CGC is a genetic counselor who comes to us from UNC and works as a member of our health care team, acting as a patient advocate as well as a genetic resource to physicians. Cecile provides information and support to families who have members with genetic disorders or families who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. Working with the genetics counselor, the Waverly physicians identify families at risk, investigates the problems present in the family, interprets information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence and review available testing options with the family.
Electronic Medical Records (EMR): A unique feature of our clinic is our Electronic Medical Record. It was developed on site in 2004 by GK Medsoft, a company spearheaded by Dr. Mark Graham and Kelly Kamm. The system provides a digital record of a patient's medical care and is stored in a centralized system with security safeguards and redundant data backups. Staff members have protected access, both on-site and off-site via the web to this information so the patient’s care is well coordinated, and the risk of medical errors is minimized.
Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Testing: CTC's are cells which originate in a tumor and move to another site through the bloodstream; this process is otherwise known as metastasis. For our patients whose cancer has metastasized to another location, a simple blood draw will determine their CTC level. This test is a unique predictor of the clinical course of metastatic cancer and is complementary to radiology and clinical evaluation. Use of CTC's has allowed fewer scans and less radiation exposure overall. We are one of the leading practices in the country with an extensive published database of over one hundred metastatic breast cancer patients being monitored with this test showing the clinical utility of CTC's. We are proud to be one of the few small private practices actively contributing to clinical research in the area. If you would like to learn more about CTC testing, click here.