UA College of Nursing & DCH Launch New Clinic for Seriously Ill

Those suffering from serious illnesses have a new place to find resources and care in West Alabama as two local medical powerhouses join forces to provide them.

The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing and the DCH Health System announced on Tuesday the launch of the Supportive Care Clinic at the Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center, where a multidisciplinary team of professionals will care for patients with advanced illnesses. 

Those who are seriously ill need more than just medical care - there are countless physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs to address. The Supportive Care Clinic will seek to provide as much of that support as possible from a single space staffed with oncologists, nurses, social workers, chaplains, pharmacists, navigators and nutritionists.

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In a Tuesday press release, the University of Alabama announced Dr. Kristi Acker will lead the clinic. Acker is an associate professor at the Capstone College of Nursing and an oncology and palliative certified nurse practitioner.

“Patients with complex health concerns, like cancer, require specialty care that addresses not only physical needs but also emotional, financial and spiritual needs,” Acker said. “This partnership offers an exciting opportunity to meet the challenges faced by our oncology community while training the nursing workforce to care for complex patient populations.”

In addition to providing this vital kind of care to those who need it most, more than 350 University of Alabama nursing students will get valuable experience there.

“The palliative care clinic was one of the most unique and meaningful experiences in all of my nursing education,” Luke Aguayo, a senior UA nursing student, said. “This type of clinical experience offers a comprehensive model for future nursing education, bridging lecture with practice in a way that will help future nursing classes navigate health care."

For DCH, it's a win-win situation, said Dr. Mallary Myers, the senior vice president and chief operating officer of the hospital system

“The partnership strengthens our ability to enhance care while training the nurses of tomorrow," Myers said.

Although the just-launched supportive care program is currently available for patients at the Manderson Cancer Center, DCH said in the release that they plan to expand access to more patient populations in the near future.

For more coverage of news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.