Steve Kalister and Kim Saxton have offices directly across a hallway from each other. They often chat with each other from their desks and finish each other’s sentences. The two work behind the scenes at OSUCCC – James. Kalisterʼs role is the service line administrator for the breast program, and Saxton serves as the director of nursing.
Patients of the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center may not always have a chance to meet Kalister or Saxton, but their visits to the center — from timing to coordination of appointments to the roles of many caregivers and staff they see — are influenced by both Saxton’s and Kalisterʼs efforts to make the treatment experience as pleasant and smooth as possible.
What are your roles at the Spielman Center?
Saxton: I work with Steve and Roman Skoracki, MD, division director for Oncologic Plastic Surgery at the OSUCCC – James and the medical director of the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center, to oversee the leadership aspects of the breast center, to better support clinical staff, non-clinical staff and physicians. I have the privilege of supporting our nursing staff and nurse managers. Steve and I are always looking for opportunities to improve the high-quality patient experience here.
Kalister: We both partner closely with Dr. Skoracki to shepherd the breast program. My side is the service line administration — the business side of leadership: strategic planning and budgeting, which helps to provide direction for resources related to our care site. I also partner with marketing and development experts.
Saxton: We remove barriers!
Kalister: Yes, helping faculty and staff do their best work, helping things move faster.
Saxton: Steve, Dr. Skoracki and I are “the leadership triad.”
Kalister: We establish short- and long-term goals and discuss what’s going on in the world of breast oncology care and the patient experience. It’s very gratifying work because of what the program is able to do for patients.
Where do you get ideas for improvements to the patient experience?
Kalister: There’s a Patient Experience Council that makes recommendations.
Saxton: In addition, we take time to look over patient feedback on the surveys patients submit, we study the data and read each of those comments to hear their voices.
Kalister: There are a lot of opportunities to do great work — to do better work. You’ve got to be constantly sharpening your pencil, and this team is always interested and ready to do the work.
Saxton: The triad meets every week and sometimes throughout the week. We also text message each other.
We heard from patients that they felt like there was a duplication in the check-in process for our Reconstructive Surgery. Together, and led by our Access leaders, we developed a streamlined check-in process for our patients.
When possible and if the patient desires it, we also coordinate physician visits for new patients. The result can be multidisciplinary appointments that allow patients to meet with three or four physicians in one day, with one visit.
A newer process enhancement started recently in our Medical Oncology clinics based on feedback from the clinic staff and our patients. For new patients, the scheduler also schedules a brief call with an RN prior to the visit so that core information can be collected from the patient and the nurse can set expectations for the visit. This call not only expedites the patient’s visit, but also addresses any concerns — everything from how long it will take to where to park. We are receiving highly favorable feedback from both patients and staff about the initiative.
Kalister: We have implemented many other changes to procedures. After patients check in at the registration desk, patients are escorted to their first appointment. While it may sound like a small thing, they appreciate it, and they tell us. The idea came from our frontline staff, which is very often the case.
What has the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research made possible?
Kalister: There are so many things, but I’ll give a few examples. To start, a great deal of research and program funding comes from the Spielman Fund. We have a new breast surgical oncology fellowship program, a Living Well with Advanced Breast Cancer clinic and an annual conference. Staying on the leading edge also requires technology that the Spielman Fund helps support. A lot of this is in Breast Imaging, where we offer an array of tools for our dedicated breast radiologists to find cancers as early as possible – screening ultrasound machines and contrast enhanced mammography are examples.
The Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research has also supported investigations that have directly improved patient outcomes. For example, we have improved the use of radiation therapy in the prone position, lessening the exposure of the heart and lungs to the radiation, thanks to Spielman funds. Spielman funds have also supported Margaret Gatti-Mays, MDʼs research in immunotherapy.
What are your plans for the future?
Kalister: We are experiencing a lot of growth, and there are several new physicians joining the Spielman Breast Center. We want to make sure we can meet the needs of the many patients who seek care here. The way breast cancer treatments become more effective, the side effects less severe and the support services more helpful is through research. We are working on a new model of how to support this incredibly important work with Spielman funds.
Saxton: We also have a robust screening program, including two mobile mammography units that go to underserved areas in and beyond central Ohio, including outreach to Appalachia. We would like to do more of that work. The Spielman Fund contributed to our newer mobile unit.