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What We Do Differently
Excellence in medical care.
We work diligently to make sure that the patient receives the very best medical treatment available. We refuse any restrictions that would interfere with quality medical care. We refuse to give a treatment which, in our opinion, is not in the very best interest of the patient. To achieve the best in medical care, we practice the following principles:
- Patients are seen and evaluated by Dr. Salem, who has been in Medical Oncology and cancer research for more than 33 years. He is the product of the two leading cancer institutions in the United States: Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Texas Medical Center, Houston. Dr. Salem is currently the Director of Cancer Research at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston.
Salem Oncology Centre employs no trainees or students. Medical decisions are based on the proper evaluation of patients, which demands extensive experience. If the primary evaluation of the patient is inadequate or not thorough, major mistakes can be made. Extensive time is given to the meticulous and precise evaluation of patients.
- The diagnosis of cancer is always confirmed precisely and the pathology material is reviewed by more than one pathologist. This point is critical because any mistake in diagnosis will automatically lead to mistakes in therapy. Therefore, we take all the time needed to make a correct diagnosis. Dr. Salem personally discusses pathology with the pathologists at length and confirms that the diagnosis is definitive and correct.
- X-ray studies are done in a special facility that will lead to an efficient, prompt and thorough evaluation. A group consultation with radiologists ensures that the radiological findings are correct and precise. The radiologists who read our X-rays are experts and are professors of radiology in different institutions of the Texas Medical Center. All X-rays are then reviewed by Dr. Salem and his staff to further minimize the possibility of any mistakes.
- Group Consultations. I strongly believe that cancer should be treated using the multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, it is routine for us that, once the evaluation is complete, a group consultation is obtained for making a definitive plan of therapy. The multidisciplinary approach is exercised at this first step of therapy and not at a later point in time, as is often the case elsewhere. Group consultations are always obtained immediately before the first treatment is given. These group consultations include expert surgeons and radiotherapists, as well as other experts in medical oncology. For our patients, in our normal process of treatment planning, we automatically obtain the opinions of specialists directly related to the specific diagnosis. Again, the final plan of therapy is designed only after these group consultations have taken place.
- To implement the above and to ensure the highest quality of medical care, time is a crucial element. As a result of the changes in medical practice in America, time has become a very valuable issue. Doctors who see a high volume of patients cannot possibly commit a lot of time to each patient. We, on the contrary, feel that the commitment of time per patient is crucial to the quality of medical care and we are ready to commit all the time needed to ensure the best quality of care.
- When chemotherapy is given, it is prepared in a special facility by experts in cancer pharmaceuticals who have extensive experience in handling cancer chemotherapeutic agents. The chemotherapy is delivered at our facility; administered and monitored very carefully by our nurses and doctors. In many cancer facilities, outpatient chemotherapy is monitored by nurses only. In our facility, the delivery of chemotherapy is also monitored by our doctors. Our nurses have extensive experience in cancer chemotherapy; collectively they have more than 34 years of experience in the oncology field.
- One of the crucial issues in maintaining quality is to make sure that patients are taken care of by the same doctors and nurses who know them well. We feel that this is an important issue, not only to maintain the best medical care, but also to maintain the human bond between the doctor and the patient and also between the nurse and the patient. Our patients are monitored by the same nurses and doctors who know the patient and carefully follow him seven days a week. Our facility is open and staffed on Saturday and Sunday to be certain that patient care is not interrupted for the weekend. Care is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year by our own Salem Oncology Centre staff.
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