{"id":9697,"date":"2020-03-25T19:54:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T19:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/?p=9697"},"modified":"2024-07-24T19:16:34","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T19:16:34","slug":"what-md-anderson-cancer-center-at-cooper-is-doing-to-protect-and-care-for-our-patients-during-the-covid-19-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/2020\/03\/25\/what-md-anderson-cancer-center-at-cooper-is-doing-to-protect-and-care-for-our-patients-during-the-covid-19-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"What MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper Is Doing To Protect and Care for Our Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dr.

Dr. Generosa Grana and Dr. Francis Spitz<\/p><\/div>\n

At MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, our top priority is the health and well-being of our patients.\u00a0 Our team of physicians, nurses, and support staff are working diligently to ensure that our patients\u2019 care treatments continue uninterrupted. In addition, we have taken important steps to reduce the risk that our patients face in contracting COVID-19 while they receive their care in our cancer centers.<\/p>\n

\u201cCancer patients are at a higher risk of getting infections, including viral infections such as COVID-19, because they can be immune compromised due to the type of treatment they receive, other health conditions (like heart disease and diabetes), and their age,\u201d says Generosa Grana, MD, Director of MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. \u201cSomeone who is immune compromised has a weaker immune system than those of the average, healthy adult \u2013 making it difficult for their body to fight off infections.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe risk of being immune compromised is typically highest during the time of active cancer treatment, such as during treatment with chemotherapy, although some conditions like bone marrow transplantation and certain drugs can lead to longer immune suppression,\u201d says Grana.<\/p>\n

Cancer patients may also be at higher risk of health complications from COVID-19 due to their compromised immune system.<\/p>\n

What we are doing to protect our patients<\/h2>\n

\u201cBecause our dedicated cancer treatment centers in Camden, Voorhees, and Willingboro are free-standing facilities or have dedicated space specifically for cancer treatment and clinical visits, we are able to limit the exposure our patients have to the general population,\u201d says Frank Spitz, MD, Deputy Director of MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper.<\/p>\n

The team at MD Anderson at Cooper is following all guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our partner MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the American College of Surgeons to protect our patients from exposure to the virus.<\/p>\n

We have implemented a strict \u201cno visitor\u201d policy in our cancer offices and are conducting COVID-19 screenings in all of our cancer facilities to protect the health and safety of our patients and staff.\u00a0 (See below for all of the steps we are taking to protect our patients and our team.)<\/p>\n

We are working to ensure that our patients are receiving their cancer treatments on schedule and as planned \u2013 without any delay or interruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently, patients who are scheduled for surgery as part of their cancer treatment are having their surgery as planned,\u201d says Dr. Spitz, who is also the Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery at Cooper University Health Care. \u201cWe may need to reschedule some surgeries to avoid hospitalizations that could put our patients at risk of exposure. We will evaluate each patient on a case-by-case basis following the American College of Surgery guidelines and clinical judgment, and will only postpone surgeries if we feel there is no risk to patient outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

What you can do to protect yourself<\/h2>\n

\u201cFor cancer patients it\u2019s especially important to follow the guidelines issued by the CDC to avoid the risk of contracting the virus,\u201d says Dr. Spitz.\u00a0 \u201cThings like keeping social distance, frequent and proper hand washing, avoiding crowds, keeping surfaces clean and disinfected, and not touching your face with your hands are important for everyone but especially for cancer patients and others at high risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to the CDC there is no reason cancer patients need to take additional measures,\u201d says Dr. Grana. For more information for those at high-risk, visit the CDC website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We are in this together<\/h2>\n

Teams throughout our health system are working closely with leaders from the CDC, Departments of Health, and local health officials to monitor and respond to this evolving situation. Our top priority at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper is keeping our patients safe and informed about COVID-19 while they get their cancer treatment.<\/p>\n

For useful, reliable resources for cancer patients, our team recommends the following web sites:<\/p>\n