Cancer Care Services 

Boulder Community Hospital is committed to providing our community with local access to an expansive range of up to date treatments for cancer.

The Tisone Family Care Center provides the highest quality inpatient care for acutely ill cancer patients and their families. Located on the third floor of Boulder Community Hospital, the specially designed, decorated and staffed unit provides cancer patients with access to all the resources available at BCH.

A comprehensive range of outpatient diagnostic and treatment services are available at the Tebo Family Medical Pavilion at Foothills Hospital. Outpatient services include the latest in diagnostic technologies, comprehensive medical and radiation therapies and access to the broadest range of clinical trials available in Colorado. The center also houses the Center for Integrative Care, which offers a host of complementary therapies (massage, acupuncture, healing touch, Reiki, nutrition consults) designed to help the whole person—body, mind and spirit.

Diagnostic Radiology

The Imaging Department plays a vital role in diagnosing and treating cancer. The hospital's radiologists have state of the art equipment to use in making diagnoses, including:

• PET Scanner
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• CT scans
• nuclear medicine
• ultrasound
• stereotactic breast biopsy
• mammography
• BSGI (Breast Specific Gamma Imaging)

Enterostomal Therapy (Colostomy Care)

The hospital's enterostomal therapist works with patients who have bowel or bladder cancers to teach them ostomy care and wound and skin care.

Cancer Registry

Boulder Community Hospital maintains a cancer registry for Boulder and the surrounding areas. All cases of cancer that are diagnosed and treated are documented and entered into the registry database. Patient confidentiality is always maintained.

The cancer registry information is sent periodically to the State of Colorado. Physicians and researchers have access to this information to determine cancer incidence rates, treatment methods and cure rates in our local community, the state and the nation.

Pathology

Board certified clinical and surgical pathologists in the hospital's laboratory analyze tissue samples to help physicians with tumor diagnosis and cancer care. Tissues received from surgery are analyzed for malignancy or premalignant conditions. For highly specialized tests, the hospital's pathologists have access to the major reference laboratory affiliated with the Mayo Clinic.

The BCH Laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists.

Nutrition

Depression and physical problems caused by cancer or its treatment often make eating properly difficult. Good nutrition is essential for cancer patients to minimize weight loss and to improve their ability to withstand the physical stress of treatment.

Registered dietitians assess patients' nutritional needs and develop and monitor individualized nutrition programs.

Pharmacy Services

The Tisone Family Cancer Care Center has its own pharmacist who reviews and monitors each patient's medical profile to ensure that drugs and dosages are appropriate. The pharmacist also reviews patient records to guard against potential problems, such as allergic reactions and drug interactions.

The staff pharmacist works closely with patients' physicians and serves as a drug information resource, helping to educate patients and family members about chemotherapy and special medications.

To help people adjust to the changes cancer brings to their lives, chaplains offer spiritual and emotional support, including prayer, sacraments and counseling. Upon request, the hospital chaplains coordinate with individual ministers, priests or rabbis in the community.

Post Mastectomy

For information, click here program for the recovery of breast cancer patients

Rehabilitation Services

The hospital's Mapleton Center offers a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services to help cancer patients with their recovery. Patients may receive therapy from one or more disciplines.

The staff assist patients with a variety of conditions, such as weakness related to lymphoma, neurological deficits caused by brain or spinal cord tumors, and speech deficits caused by tumors in the throat. Oncology patients who are significantly limited by pain have access to the Mapleton Center's Pain Management Program.

Social Work

Clinical social workers assist with emotional, economic and social needs associated with cancer treatment and help find available community resources. The Tisone Family Cancer Care Center's social worker is a member of the Association of Oncology Social Workers.

Special Patient Services

Boulder Community Hospital provides two special resources for patients with cancer. All patients are invited to use the valuable services of our Cancer Resource Navigator. Patients with breast cancer have the additional support provided by our Breast Health Navigator.

The Cancer Resource Navigator is a dedicated staff person who helps guide patients through the non-medical aspects of cancer treatment. This position represents an innovative partnership between the American Cancer Society and the Boulder Community Hospital and Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers.

BCH was the first hospital in Colorado to provide a Cancer Resource Navigator. This unique position was created to help inform patients of the various resources, programs and activities available to make treatment easier and improve their overall quality of life.

By doing most of the research for patients, the Cancer Resource Navigator helps them to make use of available resources more easily.

The Cancer Resource Navigator informs patients about valuable services available through the hospital, including physical therapy, counseling and massage therapy. He or she gathers and shares information on helpful community resources, such as local support groups.

The navigator can arrange transportation to treatments and other services needed by patients. He or she also supplies information on the patient’s specific type of cancer, what to expect during and after treatment, and how to cope with the disease.

The Cancer Resource Navigator is available to provide tours of the facilities for patients and families.

A key goal of the Cancer Resource Navigator is to introduce patients and their families to free American Cancer Society programs, including:

Look Good Feel Better, a service that teaches female cancer patients beauty techniques to help restore their appearance and self-image during chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Reach to Recovery, a program that connects volunteer breast cancer survivors with current patients who have similar backgrounds and life experiences to share information and support.

I Can Cope, a series of educational classes for patients and families confronting cancer.

Man to Man, a program that helps men and their families cope with prostate cancer by providing community based education and support, including support groups and one on one visits from a survivor.

The Breast Health Navigator helps breast cancer patients and their families maneuver successfully through the health care system. Our Breast Health Navigator is a trained oncology nurse who provides emotional support and helps guide patients through their breast cancer treatment, from diagnosis to recovery and beyond.

The Breast Health Navigator serves as a personal advocate for patients, helping to guide them through all the treatment options available. He or she also stays in constant communication with the patient’s primary care physician, oncologist, radiologist and surgeon throughout the treatment process.

The navigator also is a support and resource provider for patients with breast cancer, available to provide emotional support for both patients and families. The navigator also leads and facilitates support groups for patients and their families. The Breast Health Navigator can recommend resources and provide referrals to social workers, psychologists, support and medical staff.

Much of the Breast Health Navigator’s time is spent on patient education, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of various treatment options. The navigator serves as a triage manager to assess the patient’s educational and social needs and to refer the patient to the proper resources.

The Breast Health Navigator provides this same resource for physicians and nurses, educating other medical personnel about benign and malignant diseases and their treatment as well as about the patients’ emotional and social recovery. The navigator also gives public lectures on early detection of breast disease and breast exam skills.

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