OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria, Ill., is opening a head and neck cancer survivorship clinic to provide more structured support for patients after they complete treatment.
Patients can begin scheduling appointments Jan. 8. The clinic brings together a multidisciplinary team to help patients manage lasting effects of treatment, with coordinated appointments in areas such as surgery, survivorship navigation, voice and swallow therapy, physical therapy and nutrition, according to a Jan. 6 news release from the health system.
The cancer institute said it has seen a more than 300% increase in patients treated for head, neck and endocrine cancers over the past three years.
The launch comes as health systems nationwide face growing demand for survivorship services as more patients live longer after cancer treatment. Oncology leaders have told Becker’s that survivorship care is increasingly viewed as essential for managing long-term physical and psychosocial effects, but scaling services can be difficult amid resource constraints and limited reimbursement for coordination and navigation. Many organizations are building clinic-based survivorship programs to help bridge care gaps that emerge once treatment ends and patients transition back to primary care.
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