The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute

The Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio, by 4 physicians. At that time, it was one of the few group practices in the United States. This group practice model was very familiar to 3 of the founders—George Crile Sr, Frank Bunts, William Lower—as they served together in military hospitals near the front lines in World War I. These 3 colleagues were determined to establish a not-for-profit clinic that combined the best of military and civilian medical practices.

Joined by a fourth physician—John Phillips—they set about building a practice where medical specialists worked together to achieve the best outcomes in patient care, while furthering the goals of research and education.

From the beginning, the mission of the Cleveland Clinic has been: “Better care of the sick, investigation into their problems, and further education of those who serve.” To help ensure the success of their mission, the 4 founders decided to commit 25% of their net income to an endowment that supported medical research, education, and care of the indigent. Today, the Cleveland Clinic has facilities throughout Ohio, as well as in Florida, Nevada, Canada, and Abu Dhabi.

In the field of oncology, the Cleveland Clinic has a distinguished history. George Crile Jr, MD, the son of one of the founders, was a pioneer in establishing alternatives to radical mastectomy to treat breast cancer. His book, Cancer and Common Sense, was written for the public and endorsed conservative treatment for cancer while railing against what Dr Crile called “the unnecessarily mutilating results of the surgery being done at some of the socalled cancer centers.” These were controversial ideas in 1955, and Life magazine published excerpts from his book. Today, the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute is internationally recognized for its clinical, translational, and basic cancer research and is a National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center, as part of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To continue the mission of its founders, the Cleveland Clinic offers a variety of programs and provides outreach to people with cancer, regardless of where they may receive their medical treatment. Josette Snyder, RN, MSN, AOCN, a clinical nurse specialist, answered our questions about the Cleveland Clinic and some of these programs.

What is your hospital doing that is different from other cancer centers?

Josette Snyder (JS): Twenty years ago we started the Cancer Answer Line, which answers patients’ questions about cancer. We receive questions from around the country and around the world. To those who choose to have treatment at our facility, we triage and assist with navigating patients through the system so they are seeing the appropriate specialist or specialists for their cancer diagnosis.

Through the support of the Scott Hamilton CARES (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship) Initiative, we have been able to launch some very unique programs. The website Chemocare.com helps patients better understand their chemotherapy experience. Available in both English and Spanish, it is the first of its kind in the United States and helps patients navigate complex chemotherapy information using easy-to-understand language. This is available not only to our cancer patients but also to all with Internet access.

The 4th Angel Patient & Caregiver Mentoring Program offers free, one-toone, confidential outreach and support by matching cancer patients with volunteers who are cancer survivors. The program is telephone-based, so connections can be made regardless of where someone lives or receives his or her medical care.

The Reflections wellness program offers complementary esthetic services designed to reduce anxiety and promote healing and well-being. Services include Reiki therapy, guided imagery, reflexology treatments, facial treatments, and makeovers.

How do these translate to better outcomes for your patients?
JS: When patients are better informed about their disease from the outset, set up with the correct specialist, assisted in navigating the complex healthcare system, and supported in their disease from diagnosis through treatment and beyond, patients are better able to complete their treatment. And this translates into better outcomes.

The Cleveland Clinic believes in educating the patient and his or her family about cancer as a means of increasing the chance for a better outcome of therapy. Can you share a patient success story that illustrates this belief?
JS: I have been very fortunate to witness many success stories; however, from my perspective of patient education, I would like to note the success of our patient chemotherapy orientation classes in general. We offer this 1-hour class to our patients, optimally attended between the time that they have been scheduled to receive treatment and their first treatment appointment. We give a brief overview of our cancer center, services offered, and what to expect. Then, we educate them about chemotherapy in general, especially side effects, and provide helpful hints for the first day of treatment. We also take the patients on a tour of our center. It is heartwarming to see the change of expression from the “deer in headlights” to the more confident “I can do this.” When the patients have been to class and show up for their first treatments, our treatment nurses see a tremendous difference. This difference has been noticed by management, and with that support, we have been able to offer these classes twice daily.

How has your educational role changed in the past 5 years?
JS: There have been so many new therapies approved, and many are oral medications. Patient education takes on a whole new perspective, because patients are not coming to the outpatient setting for their treatment. We have needed to make adjustments in our education of patients as well as our follow-up and monitoring, so they continue to feel supported and connected with the team, even if they are not physically seeing us.

What is in the future for the Cleveland Clinic?
JS: Providing superior patient care within a cooperative, compassionate, and innovative healthcare practice is a founding principle of the Cleveland Clinic. As we move into the future, we will see changes in technology as well as ways of communicating with our patients; however, the founding principles won’t change.

The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute provides world-class care to patients with cancer and is at the forefront of
new and emerging clinical, translational, and basic cancer research