The University of Kansas Cancer Center Survivorship Transition Clinic
The Survivorship Transition Clinic works with pediatric cancer survivors entering young adulthood to facilitate communication with oncologists and primary care providers.
To address the needs of adult survivors of childhood cancers, the Masonic Cancer Alliance has teamed up with Children's Mercy Hospitals and KU Medical Center to develop The University of Kansas Cancer Center Survivorship Transition Clinic. The clinic works with pediatric cancer survivors entering young adulthood to facilitate communication with oncologists and primary care providers, help ease the transition, and more effectively address late effects of cancer care.
The clinic's knowledgeable staff are available to consult with MCA member hospitals and cancer center medical professionals caring for young adult survivors of cancer. The long term goal is to roll out a virtual regional program that provides similar transition of care services for patients who reside in MCA member communities in Kansas and western Missouri, in collaboration with local care providers.
If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, contact Kyla Alsman at 913-945-6655.
Morgan's Story
Morgan Simpson, a survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, received her initial treatment at Children's Mercy before moving to the Survivorship Transition Clinic. The team there tracks her adult health care records, monitors her long-term risk issues during yearly follow-up visits, provides educational materials and referrals, and shares the results with her primary care physician.
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"I was in high school when I was diagnosed but, now that I'm 21, I know it's time to start getting my care in an adult setting that is familiar with my health issues. It's a big help to have a clinic like this where it's easy to make the switch. "- Morgan Simpson, cancer survivor
Survivorship Transition Clinic Nurse Navigator
The Survivorship Transition Clinic nurse navigator position is at the heart of the clinic. The navigator coordinates the transition of adolescent and young adult survivors of pediatric cancers from Children's Mercy Hospital and KU Hospital oncology programs to adult primary and oncology providers at KU and throughout the region. Responsibilities include facilitating patient appointments, providing patient and family education, and assisting the physicians in the development of individualized survivorship plans. The navigator also helps identify resources to support the medical, financial, social, and educational needs of the survivor. The navigator serves as a guide for both the individual and the provider to help ease each patient's individual journey to wellness.
Survivorship Transition Clinic Care Team
Becky Lowry, MD, is a professor of internal medicine and the founding medical director for the Survivorship Transition Clinic. She has been a member of the faculty and The University of Kansas Health System since 2007 after completing training in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. One of her areas of professional interest is providing care for childhood cancer survivors making the transition from pediatric to adult medical care.
Carolyn Bates, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and the Survivorship Transition Clinic research director. Dr. Bates is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and has five years of experience working with adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. She provides annual psychosocial assessment and brief intervention to patients seen in the Survivorship Transition Clinic. She also leads several research projects to understand how to better the lives of children, adolescents, and young adults who have experienced cancer.
Kyla Alsman, BSN, RN, is the Survivorship Transition Clinic nurse navigator. She is involved in research and education activities centered on childhood cancer survivors, late effects of treatment, and the transition of childhood cancer survivors. She educates survivors at the Children’s Mercy Survive and Thrive Clinic and the Survivorship Transition Clinic. Previously, she worked nine years as a pediatric hematology/oncology nurse at Children's Mercy and in a pediatric primary care office.
Children's Mercy Survive and Thrive Clinic Care Team
Joy Fulbright, MD, is an assistant professor in the division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Missouri Kansas City and the medical director for the Adolescent and Young Adult program and the Survive and Thrive (long-term follow-up) program. One of her main clinical focus areas is on transition and how to improve this process. Currently, she serves on the Children’s Mercy Transitions Committee and on the KU/Children’s Mercy Partnership Transitions Committee.
Jami Cronin, PNP-BC, RN, CPN, MBA, has nine years of experience in hematology/oncology research as a registered nurse/research coordinator manager. Earlier in her nursing career, she worked for eight years in adult critical care and interventional radiology. She returned to school to become a pediatric nurse practitioner in 2019; she has been board certified since 2021. She worked for a year in infectious disease as a research APRN before returning to the division in her current position as Survive and Thrive APRN. Her current position also includes helping the outpatient Children’s Mercy Bone Marrow Transplant team with patient follow-up. She continues to be involved in research and education activities centered on childhood cancer survivors, late effects of cancer treatment, and transition of childhood cancer survivors.
Brooke Raasch, BSN, RN, CPHON, is the Survive and Thrive Long-term-Follow-up Clinic nurse at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. She has 10 years of experience as an inpatient hematology/oncology nurse at Children’s Mercy. She also worked for Kansas City Hospice on the Carousel Pediatric Hospice/Palliative care team, on an adult hospice team, as well as inpatient at the Hospice House.