Page 54 - Robeson Living Holiday 2018

Gaines wins national award from American Cancer Society

J

The American Cancer Society recently announced Certified Physician Assistant
Catherine Gaines as a recipient of the 2019 Lane Adams Quality of Life Award.
This national award is given to unique caregivers who lead in their areas of expertise
and make a significant impact on patients, families, and communities. Winners of
the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award include individuals who provide direct care,
counsel, and/or service to cancer patients, and their families.

Gaines, who works at Southeastern Health’s Gibson Cancer Center in the Naviga-
tion Department, is one of six national winners of the award, which will be present-
ed in January at the Volunteer Life and Staff Leadership Summit in Dallas, Texas.

“It is such an honor to be chosen for this award, more so, because patient testimo-
ny plays such a huge roll in it,” Gaines said. “With the support of family, friends,
patients and God, I look forward to continued years of service to this community.”

Catherine Gaines, PA-C Named after a former executive vice president of the ACS, the objective of the
award is to recognize and reward individuals who are innovative and consistently pro-
vide excellent and compassionate skilled care, counsel, and/or service to persons with GeneralSurg
cancer and their families.
eon joins

ACS Senior Volunteer Recognition Manager Caira Turner partners with the volunteer workgroup that reviews the award
SeHealth
nominations and selects the awardees.

“Everyone was very impressed with Cat Gaines’ contributions in the quality of life of her patients,” Turner said. “The winners
of our Quality of Life Awards go above and beyond to help those that have heard the words ‘you have cancer,’ and the loved
ones standing by their side. For these individuals it is more than a career; it is a lifestyle.”

Gibson Cancer Center’s Radiation Oncology Medical Director Dr. Thomas Walden Jr. said Gaines was instrumental in estab-
lishing the Nurse Navigator Program at Gibson Cancer Center, which has facilitated timely referrals for cancer care within
Southeastern Health’s network and ensured that patients and families have a point of contact for the entire cancer treatment
process and follow-up.

“She is in constant contact with schools, churches, and clinics, providing cancer information and helping with screening
programs, and was instrumental in helping to establish the low-dose CT program to screen chronic smokers who are at risk
for lung cancer,” Dr. Walden said. “She was also part of the team responsible for retaining the Commission on Cancer Cer-
tification of Southeastern Regional Medical Center as a Community Cancer Program. Cat is someone who can be consulted
for answers to problems and to assist and move forward projects and goals, always keeping the patient, family and staff in
mind. We are extremely fortunate to have her with our program, and proud that her efforts and accomplishments have been
recognized at the national level.”

(Cont. on next page)

Page 54 Robeson Living ~ Holiday 2018

work
in the
highly
special
ized
enviro
nment
of the
Neona
tal
Intensi
ve
Care
Unit
(NICU SeHe
). Since
2016, alth
Occup
ational anno
Thera
pist unce
and
Inpatie s new
nt
Rehab walk-
Service
s
Coordi in
nator
Jyutika clin
Zope
and
Physic
al
Thera
pist
Willia
m
Hunt
have
been
workin
g with
full-
term
and
premat
ure
babies
at
SRMC.
Their
work is
aided
by
upgrad
es
made
in
2017
to the
unit,
which
can
care
for
babies
born
up to
10
weeks
early.

“Not a
lot of
therapi
sts go
into
the
NICU,
” Hunt
said.
“It
require
s
additio
nal
trainin
g and
mentor
ship,
and
becaus
e it’s so
special
ized, it
can be
hard
to find
people
to
mentor
you in
this
area.
We
conduc
t
evalua
tions,
develo
p
treatm
ent
plans,
and as
they
progre
ss to go
home,
we
integra
te the
family
into
that
plan.”

Kayla
White,
of
Lumbe
rton, is
a nurse
at
SRMC
who is
also a
parent
of a
child
who
went
throug
h the
NICU.
Her
son,
Harris
on,
who
turns 1
this
weeken
d, was
born
six
weeks
early
but is
now
thrivin
g.