'Esophageal Cancer' posts

SEATTLE, Feb. 25, 2013 - KOMONews.com posted an article today about a newly FDA-approved surgical procedure for acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) called LINX that Swedish is now offering to patients.

I know how overwhelming it can be when someone is diagnosed with cancer. A wealth of information is presented to you and a lot of it can be hard to remember. Yes, resource packets are wonderful tools and information sheets are extremely useful but sometimes sifting through all of the documents can be cumbersome, especially when you have specific questions. For this reason, the Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) wants to ensure that you have access to education and information in a way that works for you.

SCI offers education programs to assist you, your family members and your caregivers in making treatment decisions, managing your symptoms, and accessing programs to help your mind, body and spirit to heal.

One of the programs is patient education classes. These classes offer practical tips that you and your family members can take home with you. The classes are intended to complement your treatment here at Swedish but also provide an opportunity where you can ask questions in a safe and secure environment.

Whether you are interested in exploring how the healing powers of art-making can help during your experience with cancer treatment or learning how naturopathic medicine complements conventional cancer treatments (or maybe you want to gain skills and confidence in creating hair alternatives) – whatever the area of focus is, we have classes that fit your needs:

There are two questions to be answered if cancer is suspected:

Being diagnosed with cancer is the beginning of a difficult time. The entire process – from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship – can be exhausting. And, I am sure that when you have questions that come up, you would like to have them answered, respectfully and responsively.

As health professionals we want to ensure that you, your family, friends and caregivers have access to all resources available at the Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI). For this reason, Swedish launched a customized phone line tailored to the Cancer Institute where callers can find out more information on services available.

Whether you want to know more about different treatment options, learn more about research studies or locate community cancer resources, I am here to assist you. If you are a new patient and would like to be seen by a provider at the Swedish Cancer Institute, I can help get the process started for you by connecting you with the most appropriate SCI specialist.

To put a story behind the voice over the phone, I would like to officially introduce myself to the Swedish community! I am Swedish’s Integrated Care Services Coordinator and Telephone Liaison for the Swedish Cancer Institute and True Family Women’s Cancer Center – which means I get to work with the entire network of Swedish campuses (including First Hill, Cherry Hill, Issaquah, Ballard and Edmonds) and can help you get connected to the appropriate areas of service that you may need.

I can help to answer any questions you may have, or connect you to the following:

ISSAQUAH, WASH., Sept. 13, 2012 – On Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Swedish/Issaquah (751 NE Blakely Drive, Issaquah) a free community health education program will be given by two experts in esophageal conditions. The 90-minute class will examine causes of heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), as well as offer practical steps for personal management and treatment.

SEATTLE, March 21, 2012 – In the closing weeks of 2011, Swedish opened the largest, most advanced endoscopy center in the Pacific Northwest on the First Hill campus in Seattle. The 21,600-square-foot, state-of-the-art unit serves as the procedural space for a broad range of minimally invasive cases performed by gastroenterologists, colo-rectal specialists, thoracic and bariatric surgeons and pulmonologists on patients with a broad range of digestive and respiratory diseases.

“This uniquely designed space offers physicians and surgeons from diverse specialties and practices the opportunity to bring their patients the highest level of care in a collaborative, safe and comfortable environment that is easily accessed, spacious and welcoming,” said Swedish Chief Medical Officer John Vassall, M.D.

The new unit was completed just over a year after Swedish Medical Group formed Swedish Gastroenterology – a new, employed gastroenterology, hepatology and endoscopy service that brought together several local gastroenterologists in one Swedish-based group dedicated to providing patients with the highest level specialty and subspecialty care available. Founded by Drs. Drew Schembre and Jack Brandabur, Swedish Gastroenterology was created to bring ...