Overview
The 2011 Georgetown Jingle
The mission of Georgetown University Hospital’s Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation is to deliver compassionate family-centered, state-of-the-art clinical care and education through a multi-disciplinary approach in an academic environment grounded in spiritual and ethical values. Since 2006, the Georgetown Jingle team has supported that mission by raising funds to support the creation and establishment of a Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Georgetown University Hospital (GUH). We are thrilled to report that construction/renovations will begin late this summer on the Georgetown University Hospital Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit on the fifth floor of the CCC Building. The Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program, in collaboration with Duke University Hospital and NIH, will be fully operational in 2012. In addition, the proceeds from the Georgetown Jingle have also supported the Cancer Survivorship Program at Georgetown University Hospital. Currently there are more than 270,000 childhood cancer survivors in the USA and understanding late effects that can occur in childhood cancer survivors (learning disabilities, heart disease, secondary cancers) is critical. The program at Georgetown University Hospital provides comprehensive on-going follow-up care for children to ensure they have a fulfilled life after cancer. This year, the 2011 Georgetown Jingle, will expand its support to include support for the continued growth and evolution of the Pediatric Palliative Care Program. Palliative care is a new medical and nursing specialty devoted to relieving pain and providing physical, psychological, and spiritual comfort to patients who have complex or challenging problems associated with serious illness.
The Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program:
The end of cancer treatment is a time of strong emotions for patients and families. Celebration is often mixed with anxiety and loss of security. Most families feel overwhelmed and have many questions about the future. In order to help ease the transition for patients and families from active treatment to follow-up care, in 2003 the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program was developed by Dr. Aziza Shad and her team at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Hospital.
The clinic started with just one pediatric oncologist and over the years has grown to include a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner specializing in late effects, social worker, art therapist, neuropsychologist, and psychologist. In addition, the program has access to pediatric and adult multi-disciplinary sub-specialists. Since 2003, the program has received philanthropic support enabling it to expand significantly. We now provide services for children, teens, and adults, locally and internationally, with the bulk of the patients coming from the Greater Washington area, Maryland and Virginia.
The Pediatric Palliative Care Program:
The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Georgetown University Hospital’s Department of Pediatrics, working in conjunction with the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and focusing on the philosophy of "cura personalis" – caring for the whole person – has created a Pediatric Palliative Care Program to provide the highest quality of life for children and families throughout the course of illness.
Children who are treated for cancer need and deserve to have their emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs met throughout each stage of the disease, regardless of the outcome. Pediatric palliative care is defined as the relief of physical, emotional, social and spiritual suffering in children from the time of diagnosis to cure or death. It is not restricted to "End-of-Life" care. Palliative care eases the burden of confusion, abandonment, and hopelessness for all parties involved, and increasing evidence supports the need for early integration. Such care requires interdisciplinary medical, psychosocial, and spiritual support of the child and family, aimed at attending to suffering, promoting healing, and improving quality of life.