HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · AUGUST 2018
“
Every service we
provide at the
Cancer and Blood
Disorders Center
in Corpus Christi we also
provide to our patients in
the Valley with the same
standard of care. It helps
to bring peace of mind to
parents that their children
can receive treatments
closer to home allowing us
to treat all types of cancer
and blood disorders,” said
Dr. Mba.
“There are some circumstances when
patients are brought to Corpus Christi
after an initial diagnosis for surgery
or when intense care is required,” she
added. “After we have a treatment plan
or the patient is stabilized, the child can
then return to the Valley and continue
care.”
“We believe it is important to provide the
same professional services for the children in
the Rio Grande Valley as if they had travelled
to the main campus in Corpus Christi,” said
Dr. Sherani.
A Well-Rounded Care Plan
The Center uses a multidisciplinary, family-
centered approach to care with four board-
certified pediatric hematologist-oncologists;
oncology nurses; case managers; social
workers; dieticians; child life specialists;
teachers; chaplains; rehabilitation specialists
and psychologists all with specialized
education allowing them to be a part of the
treatment team.
The Center also offers a broad array of
services; in addition to cancer treatments,
children with blood disorders including
anemia, bleeding and clotting conditions, low
blood counts and immune conditions are
treated at both Driscoll Valley clinics.
Dr. Hanrahan, a board-certified
pediatric hematologist oncologist who
came to Driscoll Children’s Hospital
about a year ago after spending 17 years
in New Mexico, said using targeted
therapies helps to extend treatments
into the Valley. As a cancer or blood disorder diagnosis can
be extremely traumatic for a child, it can
be just as daunting for parents and family
members. Having support groups and
chaplains available to provide comfort can
help loved ones cope with the challenges
faced during the treatment process.
“Driscoll is a participant of the
Children’s Oncology Group, which is a
consortium of about 200 hospitals and
academic institutions across the United
States, Europe and Australia. They are
the largest organization exclusively
dedicated to childhood and adolescent
cancer treatment and research,” said
Dr. Hanrahan. “Being part of the group
has given Driscoll the ability to treat
oncology patients with the same level
of care they could receive anywhere,
whether it be Austin, New York City,
London or Sydney, Australia.” Additionally, Driscoll Children’s Hospital
offers camps for the pre-teens and teenage
patients of the Cancer and Blood Disorders
Clinic during the summer months. Patients
living in the Valley participate and are always
included in all of the Center’s activities.
Transportation is provided by Driscoll to all
camps and other activities, such as Chemo
Kids Fish Off and the September Childhood
Cancer Awareness event.
What this means for parents of young
patients is that the physicians of the
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
are able to provide medicines that
increase cure rates and decrease the
side effects of chemotherapy whether
those patients are treated in McAllen or
Brownsville.
Dr. Boston points out that the Center is able
to provide a valuable service and expertise
to patients in the Valley who cannot always
come to Corpus Christi.
She said she enjoys being able to go to the
Valley, and as someone fluent in Spanish, it
helps her to establish a strong relationship
with her patients and patient’s families who
are primarily Spanish-speaking.
13 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
Dr. Sherani said she enjoys the travel to the
Valley from Corpus Christi as well, as it gives
her time to consult with staff.
“We come very prepared, of course,” said
Dr. Sherani, adding that having so many
subspecialties within the Driscoll Health
System available to the population in the Rio
Grande Valley helps to identify other issues
that may arise due to some of the unique
challenges they may face.
Dr. Sherani said she is familiar with unique
patient care challenges as she has been a part
of medical volunteer projects in India and
Saudi Arabia.
“The socioeconomic challenges, including
health insurance and access to primary care
in some parts of the world, reflect similarly to
what our patients experience in the Valley,”
she said. “Recognizing the needs of our
patients and addressing them to ensure they
are receiving the best possible care available
is what Driscoll is so great at.”
While coping with a cancer diagnosis and
managing treatments is challenging, it is
important to remember that the majority
of childhood cancer patients survive this
frightening disease. Driscoll Children’s
Hospital Cancer and Blood Disorders
Center is well-staffed with physicians who
carry more than 50 years of experience
between them, including many other medical
professionals who work with pediatric
patients on a daily basis. With the ability
to provide the same level of care and
consistency of treatment at the Brownsville
and McAllen Clinics, Driscoll Children’s
Hospital is able to ensure oncology and
hematology patients throughout South Texas
are in the very best hands.
“Pediatric oncology patients have a much
greater chance of survival today than they
did years ago,” said Dr. Mba. “I know that
we are able to greatly increase that survival
rate by the abilities we have here at Driscoll
providing care for the children of South
Texas.”