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Health Care
St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute Treats the Whole Person
St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute at Magic Valley Regional Medical Center
Oncology social worker Bruce Wehler considers it a privilege to share “the intimacy of cancer” with the patients he serves at St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute. After 12 years on the job‚ Wehler still finds his work extremely rewarding.
When people are dealing with cancer‚ they face issues and fears that are deeply personal‚ Wehler says. “It’s an honor to be invited into their world.”
Wehler is among St. Luke’s Health System’s network of social workers helping patients who receive cancer care at the St. Luke’s MSTI outpatient clinics located throughout Southern Idaho.
“We provide a full range of oncology services‚ pediatric through adult‚” says Beth Toal‚ public relations manager. Radiation oncology; breast care‚ mammography and diagnostics; and clinical trials for all ages are among those services.
“We also offer extensive support services‚ including emotional support and integrative therapies like art therapy‚ music therapy and groups for children and family members‚” Toal says.
With MSTI clinics located in Twin Falls‚ Fruitland‚ Nampa‚ Meridian and downtown Boise‚ cancer care happens close to home. MSTI also operates breast cancer detection centers sprinkled throughout the communities‚ which helps facilitate routine mammograms‚ and a mobile PET/CT scanner provides access to the latest imaging and staging technologies.
“Our goal is to implement the latest technology at all our sites‚” Toal says.
Meanwhile‚ Wehler and other social workers help cancer patients negotiate a myriad of practical implications‚ particularly those related to finances.
“I try to help people surf the shark-infested financial waters of cancer care‚” Wehler jokes. “Seriously‚ about 70 percent of my job has to do with financial issues. Chemotherapy is expensive – anywhere from $2‚000 to $8‚000 per treatment. I help patients apply for assistance that can defer 60 to 80 percent of that cost. I get about $500‚000 annually from national organizations for patient medications.”
According to Wehler‚ it’s often the younger patients who face the toughest financial challenges. Acting as resource-finders‚ the St. Luke’s social workers connect patients with national helping organizations such as the American Cancer Society all the way down to local groups that provide gas vouchers.
Wehler leads a weekly support group called Living Through Cancer‚ where participants talk about the impact of the disease on their daily lives.
“We work on coping with the diagnosis‚ issues of death and dying‚ mending family relationships‚ spirituality‚ quality of life and how to have fun – we emphasize living with the disease‚” Wehler says.
“The strength of the social work program at St. Luke’s speaks to how much the organization values psycho-social care. We’re not only concerned about healing your disease‚ but also about how it affects you as a person.”
To learn more about MSTI health resources‚ go to www.stlukesonline.org and follow the links.
Story by Carol Cowan
Photo by Staff
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