The cancer program at the Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston, Maine, serves a large and rural population — an underserved demographic in need of comprehensive and compassionate care. The outpatient medical oncology department and infusion center is staffed by remarkable registered nurses who provide the highest quality of multidisciplinary care. Working with medical staff, social workers, financial counselors, patient representatives and a myriad of community resources, the oncology nurses are often at the center of the patient experience.
The team is also dedicated to education and training so that they can continue to improve the care they provide to their patients. Many staff nurses sit on one or more internal committees and actively participate in the department’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) accreditation through the American Society of Clinical Oncologists.
In the last two years, two nurses working in the cancer program were themselves diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. They both chose to have their initial course of treatment at CMMC, entrusting their colleagues with their care. A challenging and emotional task for both the patients and the team, this role was tackled by the CMMC nurses with compassion, professionalism and strength every day, honored to care for two of their own.
Their dedication to creating the best environment for patients, families, colleagues and each other is perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the nursing team in the medical oncology and infusion center. Says one colleague, “It’s an honor to know and work with every one of them.”
