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Additional information: Diet & Cancer

Education
For cancer patients and their families, education is the foundation for quality care and treatment. From the beginning, we provide our patients with education about their disease and treatment options. Classes are offered weekly to explain the disease, define treatments, describe expected side effects and give self-help tips to each patient.

The Joe Arrington Cancer Research and Treatment Center (JACC) strives to make education programs fun and informative. Our experienced staff takes the message of cancer prevention and early diagnosis to the schools, nursing homes, churches and community and civic organizations. Programs are provided on a variety of topics, such as healthy cooking, spiritual development and understanding cancer.

JACC offers free screenings for colorectal, breast, prostate and skin cancer each calendar year.
Physicians affiliated with Covenant Health System perform the screenings. All participants receive written documentation for their personal records.

Social Services
The social workers at the JACC assist patients and their families by addressing their emotional, social and physical needs. Issues such as medical, housing, transportation and financial concerns are addressed when appropriate.

Patients in need of wigs, turbans, prostheses, prescription medicines or medical equipment may be assisted by a social worker. Encouragement and support are offered to patients and their families. Referrals for social services are accepted from physicians, staff, families or from patients themselves.

JACC's Social Services team works closely with private and public agencies to identify appropriate community resources for our patients. The social workers identify eligibility requirements for enrollment in various programs, and guide the patient through the application process.

Networking with groups in the community such as the American Cancer Society, Medical Social Workers and National Association of Social Workers helps us stay informed about programs and services available to patients and their families.

Spiritual Care & Chapel
The JACC has made a commitment to treating the whole person - Body, Mind and Spirit. Healing that occurs in the heart and soul, regardless of the physical outcome, enables patients and families to cope with changes that occur as a result of cancer. JACC has made a commitment to this healing.

The chaplains and the JACC staff work together in ministering to the needs of the whole person. Communication among the staff is of vital importance, and insures quality of care in providing avenues for spiritual growth that impact physical healing. It is this commitment to the whole person that brings hope, faith and courage to our patients.

Chaplains and volunteers are available for supportive listening, providing information on support services, making referrals to appropriate staff or assisting the patient and family in any way that will help them strengthen their own spirituality.

The JACC Chapel is a quiet place for patients, families, visitors and staff that contains a variety of inspirational and religious books. The Chapel is located near the front entrance of the JACC and is open all day for anyone to use. Support groups and services are held in the Chapel from time to time and all are invited to participate.

Medical Nutrition
Proper nutrition is an essential component in the care of cancer patients at the JACC. All of our patients are given a nutritional screening to evaluate their dietary needs by JACC staff. If a patient is identified as needing additional assessment, they are referred to a registered dietitian for individualized nutritional counseling.

The goal of the registered dietitian is to help patients develop realistic and healthy eating practices by designing a plan that includes the patient’s specific needs and food preferences.

Some of the benefits of a healthy diet are:

• Patients who eat well during treatment are better able to cope with side effects and may be able to handle a higher dose of certain treatments;
  
  
• A healthy diet may help patients keep up their strength, prevent body tissue from breaking down and rebuild tissues that treatment may harm; and
  
  
• Maintaining a healthy diet may strengthen the body’s defense system and lessen the risk of infection.