Interdisciplinary Team Benefits Patient
Patients benefit from the intervention of a highly-experienced, interdisciplinary treatment team, comprised of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, specialized oncology nurses and social workers.
Marta Lazo’s daughter Maria is grateful for the doctors at the Leavey Cancer Center for saving her mother’s life. “I’m so happy my mother’s doctor referred her to Northridge Hospital. Dr. Gary Davidson was excellent!”
Controlling Cancer Pain
We strongly believe that no patient should suffer unmanageable cancer pain. We have a hospital-wide program to ensure that patients who have pain are identified and treated appropriately and effectively while limiting side effects. In most cases, pain is prevented in advance.
Northridge Hospital is an active member of the Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative (SCCPI), which is a nonprofit volunteer interdisciplinary organization made up of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and many other professionals dedicated to the relief of cancer pain.
Medical Oncologists
In partnership with Northridge Hospital, West Valley Hematology-Oncology Medical Group (WVHOMG) provides the most up-to-date medical treatments in cancer care. WVHOMG doctors are Board-certified in Hematology and Oncology, and whose distinguished affiliations include South West Oncology Group, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Cancer Network.
WVHOMG doctors are faculty members at UCLA where they teach medical students, residents and interns. While working in conjunction with the Northridge Hospital Navigation Team, these dedicated physicians also embrace a multifaceted, holistic approach that includes the latest therapies, clinical trials, symptom management, individual and family counseling, spiritual care, support groups, massage therapy.
Radiation Oncologists
Cancer Care Consultants is a specialized Radiation Oncology physician group founded on the principle of using the latest medical and computer technologies. It is one of the largest groups of its kind in the area, providing treatment to over 1,200 cancer patients annually.
The physicians and their staff seek to create a warm and caring atmosphere during the difficult times facing each and every patient. Accordingly, they have been recognized and listed in the "Best Doctors in America" and "The Essential Guide to Los Angeles' Best Doctors”.
Cancer Surgery
Northridge Hospital boasts general surgeons to specialty surgeons - all with extensive experience in cancer surgeries.
Nursing
The nurses at Northridge Hospital take pride in being a group of professionals who possess a personal sense of commitment and responsibility to provide care that facilitates health and healing. We embrace the concept that each patient and his family have a unique background and individual needs.
Our specially trained oncology nurses work with our cancer specialists to care for each patient beyond his physical ailment and believe that caring and healing are dominant over physical healing and illness. We believe each patient and nurse is interconnected, which enables us to care for him with dignity and respect.
Psychologists and Social Workers
Social workers and psychologists can help patients deal with the stress, anxiety and depression that can accompany a diagnosis of cancer and its treatment. This counseling can strengthen coping skills, improve self-image, help you gain insight, and improve family communication, as well as provide an opportunity to explore and express your feelings. Our social workers also help ensure that patients get emotional support and assistance with needs like housing, financial assistance, home care support, community referrals, and transportation. Support groups are also available.
Palliative Care
“Palliate” means to ease. Palliative Care is also known as “Comfort Care.” When a patient is not responding to treatment and the disease process is advancing, a physician may shift the treatment to comfort care. Palliative Care is an area of medicine aimed at alleviating the symptoms (physical, psychological, spiritual) of a life-threatening disease.
This means that a patient will have adequate medication to alleviate pain or any other negative symptoms. Palliative Care can start at anytime during treatment at Northridge Hospital. It is not the same as Hospice Care and may be provided at the same time as curative treatment.
Pathology and Laboratory
The Northridge Hospital lab is fully accredited and certified with the following agencies:
- College of American Pathologists (CAP)
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CLIA)
- California Department of Health Services
Vital information provided by laboratories can be a big part of all healthcare decisions. At Northridge Hospital Medical Center, the Department of Laboratory Services performs 2.2 million clinical laboratory tests annually. Staffed by highly qualified experts and technicians, it offers the most sophisticated technologies, and is fully accredited and certified by CAP (College of American Pathologists).
A pathologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and classification of diseases by laboratory tests such as examination of tissue and cells under a microscope. The pathologist determines whether a tumor is benign or cancerous, and, if cancerous, the exact cell type and grade. Most laboratory results are completed in 24 to 48 hours from the time of the test.
