Newswise — Rush University Medical Center’s lung cancer care team is one of two programs that provide the highest-quality lung cancer care in North America, according to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), which chose Rush as one of five worldwide recipients of the foundation’s inaugural Cancer Care Team Award. Acknowledging cancer care teams across the globe who go above and beyond to provide the highest-quality patient care, the award is unique in that the recipients were nominated by patients.
Jill Feldman, along with many other Rush patients and caregivers, nominated her Rush care team to recognize the exceptional patient care she received. Feldman travelled to the award presentation at the 18th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Yokohama, Japan to personally introduce and celebrate the award at a ceremony on Oct. 15.
“My team at Rush University has always been patient-centered and is so deserving of this award, along with the other awardees today,” Feldman said. “Amazing things are possible when teams across disciplines work together to put the patient first. I am grateful to the IASLC Foundation for introducing an award that encourages this kind of extraordinary teamwork.
“There is a culture that exists, a philosophy of care that is reflected by all of the staff. Knowledge, experience, access to research and cutting edge treatment are all important when looking for the best care, but so is having a team that believes that the patient’s spirit, family, dignity and goals are just as important. That is, and has been for decades, the culture of my care team.”
“A lung cancer diagnosis can be frightening,” said Dr. Philip Bonomi, the Alice Pirie Wirtz professor of medical oncology at Rush. “The clinical teams at Rush have worked tirelessly to help our patients not only survive, but thrive after being diagnosed with cancer.
“Our team never forgets that having our patients’ trust is a privilege, and it motivates us to do everything possible to help them in their battle against lung cancer.”
In addition to Rush, the four other teams that were honored are at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and cancer institutes in Brazil, China, and Poland. The honorees were chosen from 50 nominees by a committee of the IASLC Foundation.
The IASLC is the only global organization dedicated to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, with a membership of more than 6,500 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in more than 100 countries. The World Conference on Lung Cancer is the largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies.
Rush patients and families will Shine a Light on Lung Cancer Nov. 16
Feldman will be among the Rush patients at Rush’s annual “Shine a Light on Lung Cancer”event, which will be held on November 16 at 5-7 p.m. in the Edward A. Brennan Entry Pavilion, 1620 W. Harrison St.
Shine a Light is a free community event of hope, support and compassion for all those living with lung cancer and honoring those who have died. Physicians at Rush who specialize in treating lung cancer will discuss new therapies and how screening is enabling earlier detection and treatment of lung cancer and Feldman will share her story.
The Shine a Light event at Rush is one of the largest held in the country, according to the Lung Cancer Alliance, the national organizer of the event.