According to the new partnership, in a groundbreaking step toward redefining comprehensive care, DCH Health System and the University of Alabama have announced the launch of Supportive Care, a unique care model that delivers personalized, compassionate care to patients facing serious illness—starting with those battling cancer.
Housed in the Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center, the Supportive Care program is designed to help patients live longer, more comfortably, and with greater dignity by providing individualized support. “By focusing on pain management, and emotional and spiritual support, Supportive Care helps patients maintain quality of life while navigating complex symptom management,” said Mallary Myers, DCH senior vice president and chief operating officer.
The initial launch aims to provide 350 senior undergraduate nursing students with clinical experiences rooted in palliative care competency. The Supportive Care Clinic will be embedded into the existing oncology clinic framework and will provide additional support for patients, their families, and caregivers.
“By leveraging the resources of these two esteemed organizations, the Supportive Care Clinic offers a strategic blueprint for growing the nursing workforce in oncology and beyond, while prioritizing improved patient outcomes,” said Dr. Kristi Acker, CCN associate professor and Oncology and Palliative certified Nurse Practitioner.
Researchers will study the outcomes of this integrated approach to care, with the goal of eventually expanding Supportive Care to all patients—not just those with cancer.
