User:HerosClinic/HEROS Clinic

The HEROS Clinic at the Smilow Cancer Center at Yale-New Haven Hospital opened in 2003 in order to provide continuing support for patients who are childhood cancer survivors. The HEROS clinic is the only specialty clinic in Connecticut to focus on the special healthcare needs of childhood cancer survivors. Before 1970, just 20-30% of children diagnosed with cancer were cured. But today, almost 80% of children diagnosed with cancer become childhood cancer survivors. Due to this success, it is estimated that 1 in 700 adults is a survivor of a pediatric cancer. Due to the life-saving treatments they recieved, these survivors are at an increased risk for other kinds of medical problems--both physical and psychosocial. These may include a different kind of cancer, heart problems, osteoporosis, decreased fertility, posttraumatic stress disorder, and learning disabilities. While the primary goal of the clinic is to provide high quality care and education, it also represents an opportunity for health care professionals to learn more about the full-range of issues that face childhood cancer survivors through potential research studies. HEROS focus is to offer preventive guidance and education to empower survivors to take steps to maximize their health, quality of life, and longevity. Those involved with the HEROS clinic aim to fill the gap left between the acute care Pediatric Oncology clinic and the care offered by survivors' primary care providers. The HEROS clinic intends to inform survivors, their families, and the community of new knowledge about the late effects of childhood cancer and its treatment and to take a leadership role in developing and using that knowledge. The clinic team composes summary reports for the survivors and their primary care physicians that identify direction for risk-based monitoring as well as educate about specific treatment-related health risks. "Patients will come away from the clinic with advice for the future in an effort to minimize complications from their previous cancer care," says Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist Dr. Nina Kadan-Lottick, who is one of the clinic's organizers. Dr. Kadan-Lottick works with a team of healthcare professionals that include Dr. Lyn Balsamo, Psychologist, Tonetta Christie, R.N., Claudia Auerbach, NP, Lisa Camera, administrative assistant, Connie Nicolosi, LCSW, Stuart Weinzimer, MD, Endocrinologistand Eric Schwartz, Certified Child Life Specialist.

The clinic is offered to individuals who were diagnosed with childhood cancer before reaching 21 years of age and who are now at least 1 year off treatment.