Contributors

Erin Sullivan Wagner

Cancer Survivor

Health Care Consultant and Patient Life Coach

“Patients need oncology providers to normalize the sexual health conversation for them so concerns can be addressed and expectations set for their life after the diagnosis. It’s time to bridge the communication gap that exists between patients and providers on this topic. The All of Me project is a sustainable training program, giving oncology health care providers, the necessary tools to comfortably and consistently address sexual health with their patients.”

Veronika Kolder, MD

Clinical Associate Professor, Dept. ObGyn

Medical Director, Menopause & Sexual Health Cinic, UIHC

As a gynecologist who heard the concerns of 50 oncology advanced practice professionals and nurses across Iowa during the initial phase of this project, I want to underscore the key role of oncologists in endorsing and delegating sexual health care.

Your patients want you to focus on curing or controlling their cancer, but quality of life is also important. Your care team needs a clear directive from you. Please ask them to provide sexual health care and support them by endorsing NCCN protocols and referral algorithms that fit your communities needs.

Our All of Me customized site visit team will suggest protocols and referral algorithms for your clinic and will ask for your endorsement. With your approval, our clinic will then be recognized on a map of Iowa on the website and you will be welcomed to use the All of Melogo.

Kim Leslie, MD

Chair and Department Executive Officer

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

“As a person impacted by ovarian cancer and an obstetrician gynecologist caring for patients, I know we need to close the communication gap between providers and patients related to sexual health care. National guidance on how to incorporate sexual health care in the oncology setting has been available since 2014 (NCCN). As providers, it’s up to us to assure that opportunities to preserve or restore sexual health are not missed.

Toward this end, I have supported the development of the Menopause and Sexual Health Clinic within our department. This clinic offers specialized care, assisting those with side effects related to cancer or cancer treatment. As part of the Carver College of Medicine, our department also provides small group instruction on sexual health communication to medical students. These groups are led by facilitators and enhanced by simulated patients. We are committed to giving Iowa’s next generation of medical providers the tools they will need to address this important quality of life issue.

The All of Me Iowa project is developing content for a sustainable educational program for providers and a centralized resource site for patients and providers. It has been funded to bring the same type of instruction we provide to medical students to oncology providers around the state. Please join me in supporting this valuable program.”

Dr. Richard Deming, MD

Medical Director

Mercy Cancer Center, Des Moines Iowa

Founder, Above + Beyond Cancer

Elevating the Lives of Those Touched by Cancer

aboveandbeyondcancer.org

The All of Me project is important for educating oncology practitioners and their team members on how to approach the topic of sexual health in our patients. We need to learn how to normalize these discussions, and make the conversations systematic in our patient care. Having the tools and training to ask the right questions, open up the conversation, and refer our patients to specialists will impact the quality of their lives. As their oncology care team, they trust us to have their best interest in mind-not only in treating the cancer, but in caring for them holistically.

Kiran Annam, ARNP

Men’s Health Clinic/Urology Department

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

I believe sexual health should be implemented as an overall treatment plan for any oncology patient. In an ideal world, it would be nice if every oncologist or care provider managing a patient’s care would be comfortable discussing sexual health repercussions after a diagnosis.”

Jeremy Nelson, PA

Emergency Room

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

The more open we can be about expectations, the more likely I think our patients are to tell us what’s going on and what their fears are. Even very basic interview questions such as, “Do you have sex with men, women, or both”, need to be asked. Patients understand you’re just getting information to help them, and that you’re not trying to pry into their private lives or judge them. People will respond if they feel we are open minded and non-judgmental. We have to initiate the sexual health conversation because patients may not think it’s appropriate for them to ask the questions.”

Loraine Brenner, RN

Nurse Clinician Specialist

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

“Patients experience a lot of changes after they’ve had major surgeries and after they’ve had cancer therapy. It can affect their appearance, their self esteem and their sense of self. All of that can impact how they feel as a sexual being. Patients have told me this is important to them and can have huge implications on their intimate relationships. It will make a big difference if we can comfortably open up the conversation even if we don’t have all the answers. We need to be able to tell the patient, ‘I wasn’t trained in how to specifically address this but I do have somebody I can refer you to in the sexual health clinic,’ or I can refer them to a physical or mental health therapist.”