Los Angeles cancer center leaders, some of whom were directly affected by the fires, shared with Becker’s reflections on what they’ve learned as they prepare to rebuild.
Quick thinking led to proactive solutions
Joi Torrence-Hill is chief of operations at Los Angeles-based USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. She told Becker’s the center was able to sustain cancer care services thanks to quick and proactive thinking.
The USC Norris team proactively reached out to patients to “get a pulse” on their situation, she said, allowing for mitigation of any care plan disruptions. The team also helped consolidate and transfer patients from outpatient facilities directly in the wildfire’s path.
The cancer center’s location in East Los Angeles meant efforts had to be made to alleviate the effects of the ash and smoke surrounding the facility for its immune-compromised patient population.
HEPA filters and air purifiers were installed throughout the center, Ms. Torrence-Hill said. Certain access points were closed and patients were redirected to other entrances to reduce the opening and closing of doors.
USC Norris faculty and caregivers continued to provide care, even while their lives were upended by the fires.
“[Those] who were either displaced or personally impacted showed such strength and resilience,” she said. “Their passion for their patients was evident as they continued to either come in or manage care through telemedicine visits.”
To support faculty and staff, the health system established a dedicated “Care for the Caregiver” helpline after the fires began. The helpline connects caregivers to resources for emotional support, housing, transportation and financial aid, among other resources. The system also held an essential items drive to ease the wildfire’s strain on care teams, Ms. Torrence-Hill said.
“Our senior leadership at Keck Medicine of USC and across our health system, have been phenomenal in the way they are showing up for employees,” she said. “They have been instrumental in ensuring that our care teams are supported and that their safety and well-being are top of mind.”
A systemwide approach saved the day
Robert Figlin, MD, is the deputy director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, and the Steven Spielberg Family Chair in Hematology-Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
He told Becker’s that having multiple hospitals and practices offering oncology services meant the system was “geographically positioned to respond to disasters.”
“The system-wide nature of our approach to cancer care allowed us to move pieces around as they were affected by fires,” he said. “We serve 11 million people in our catchment area. We had to be prepared, and surprisingly, we were very prepared to deliver that care.”
When the power went out at a Santa Monica practice as one-third of its staff in Pasadena were affected by the fires, the system managed to transfer patients from both areas to its main campus — a transition made all the easier due to Cedars-Sinai’s systemwide EMR.
There were no breaks in cancer care, Dr. Figlin told Becker’s. The system’s clinical trials and research pharmacy also remained operational throughout the fire.
“While we postponed elective surgeries across the system, we prioritized cancer surgeries to ensure there was no disruption in our ability to deliver that care across our institutions,” he said.
Like USC Norris, Cedars-Sinai leaders were also focused on supporting their care teams, whether that was through housing, childcare or even pet care.
“We had faculty, trainees and staff displaced, with some losing their homes. The health system had to come to the rescue,” Dr. Figllin said. “The health system delivered on its ability to try and find comfort for our staff, who in the midst of all of this were losing things that were very important to them.”
Preparing to face the difficult road ahead
Ms. Torrence-Hill and her family were displaced for two weeks, having only recently returned home. Though Dr. Figlin’s house was safe, he and his family were still unable to return home when he spoke with Becker’s due to loss of power and gas.
“In these first two weeks, we’ve found a way for everyone to continue delivering the care that’s needed without any break in the system,” Dr. Figlin said. “The next part of all of this is going to be the rebuilding, which will take months to years. We are prepared to support [those who have lost their homes] through that journey.”
“It’s been difficult for many and it will continue to be difficult in the weeks to come,” Ms. Torrence-Hill said. “It’s going to be important for us to continue supporting one another as a community. To show up with true resilience, strength and compassion for one another during this time.”
Read how Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope CEO Robert Stone and his team navigated the wildfires here.
