It’s almost finished! Roswell Park’s 10-story Clinical Sciences Center (CSC), next door to the hospital, is scheduled to open in May 2016.

The CSC was created to serve RPCI’s growing population of patients and survivors. Over the past 10 years, the number of people in active care has increased by 9,426, to the current total of 31,901. In part, that total reflects a steady increase in the number of people who survive cancer and who look to RPCI for continued support after they have completed treatment.

Inside, patients and visitors will find:

• A spacious and comfortable Chemotherapy Infusion Center, equipped to serve more patients, with the added options of private rooms, semi-private bays (which can be fully enclosed with a curtain), and areas where groups of friends can be together during treatment. Each patient will have access to a 32” TV with Internet access. “We expect the wait times will be shorter, and comfort will be improved significantly,” says Brian Braun, LCSW-R, Executive Director of Clinical Project Lines.

• A Women’s Center, encompassing the Breast Center, Mammography Center, and Gynecology Center. The Mammography Center will serve RPCI patients and members of the public who come for screening mammograms.

• A Survivorship Center “to help our patients transition from treatment back into the community,” explains Chief of Clinical Services Victor Filadora, MS, MD, MBA. The center will include a clinic specifically for survivors, “because they have less-complicated visits. This will enable us to help them prepare for their return to their primary care doctors.”

Space vacated in the hospital will be revamped to house a larger Blood & Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Center, Lymphoma Center, state-of-the-art Pediatric Outpatient Center, Supportive Services Center, and Urgent Care Center to address outpatient needs outside of regular clinic hours and over the weekend. Along with the CSC, the redesigned space will help “decrease patient wait times and make visits more efficient and much easier for patients,” says Dr. Filadora.

The CSC rates an A+ from patients and volunteers who helped shape the design through their work on RPCI’s Patient Advisory Committee, adds Brian Braun. He says one patient was overjoyed to see the final building plans, exclaiming,

THIS IS GREAT! WOW — THEY ACTUALLY LISTENED TO US!Braun says an open house and orientation program for patients will be announced in the spring before the CSC opens.

www.roswellpark.org 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724)

Roswell Park Patient Newsletter Jan./Feb. 2016ONEMISSION

EXPANSIVE WINDOWS IN THE CHEMO INFUSION CLINIC WILL GIVE PATIENTS A SWEEPING VIEW OF THE BUFFALO SKYLINE AND PLENTY OF NATURAL LIGHT.

Coming Soon: RPCI’s Clinical Sciences Center

The center will include a clinic specifically for survivors.

New Location for the Victory BellRoswell Park’s victory bell has moved to a new, permanent location. You’ll find it near the elevator banks just off the hospital lobby, next to the

Chemo-Infusion waiting area.

Patients are invited to ring the bell to mark the end of treatment or the completion of another milestone. (Just ask a nurse or physician.) If you’d like to share your good news with the wider Roswell Park community, post a photo of yourself ringing the bell on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #RoswellStrong.

Janice Trudnowski, a brain cancer survivor who was treated at Roswell Park, donated the bell in 2015 to give patients a way to celebrate when they received good news. Ringing a bell is a treasured tradition at many cancer hospitals.

Raise a Cup to Roswell Park!You can enjoy a hot, delicious cup of coffee and strengthen the fight against cancer at the same time when you buy Cups for Roswell coffee coupons from Dunkin’ Donuts. Available at participating Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Western New York and in the Roswell Park gift shop, a set of 10 coupons costs $10; each coupon is good for a medium coffee. Proceeds support cutting-edge research and patient-care programs at RPCI.

VISIT CUPSFORROSWELL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Goin’ Bald: Snipping, Clipping & Shaving Our Way to Cancer CuresJoin the fun as members of Team Roswell shave their heads or cut their hair in front of a cheering audience! The annual Team Roswell Bald for Bucks event, which raises funds for cancer research and patient-care programs, is set for March 9 at 10 a.m. in the David C. Hohn Auditorium of the Research Studies Center (across the street from the hospital).

Everyone’s welcome to join in! Every year, patients, their family members, and Roswell Park staff volunteer to submit to the clippers and Go Bald, raising money through pledges. If your hair is long enough, you may be able to donate your hair to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths to help provide wigs for women with cancer. To learn more or to register, visit BaldforBucks.org.

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JANICE TRUDNOWSKI RINGS THE VICTORY BELL

SHE DONATED TO RPCI.

Around the Park

Save the Date: The Ride For Roswell on Friday, June 24 & Saturday, June 25It’s an unforgettable event: The annual Ride For Roswell, which drew more than 8,000 riders and 2,2000 volunteers in 2015, raising $4.6 million to keep our mission moving forward. You can be part of this historic event! There are many ways to get involved as a special part of our team:

• Ride: With 13 routes ranging from three to 100 miles long, The Ride accommodates all skill levels, from seasoned cyclists to little ones on training wheels. We’re proud that hundreds of patients and survivors are among the riders each year.

• Volunteer: The Ride depends on thousands of dedicated volunteers who work together to ensure a safe, comfortable, and fun experience for everyone. Find out how you can put your talents and interests to work.

• Support: Not able to ride or volunteer? Become a virtual rider by donating to the cause or joining us on Ride day to cheer the riders on.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS YEAR’S RIDE FOR ROSWELL OPENS IN EARLY 2016. LEARN MORE AND GET STARTED AT RIDEFORROSWELL.ORG.

To find out how Ride funds help save lives and make things easier for our patients, visit rideforroswell.org/about-the-ride/why-we-ride.

One Mission delivers news, information, and stories of hope and inspiration to the patients and families served by Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), in keeping with RPCI’s mission to understand, prevent, and cure cancer. This patient newsletter is written, created and designed by RPCI’s Department of Marketing, Planning, Public Affairs and Customer Relationship Management, with content contributed by various departments at RPCI.

Questions? Suggestions? Email RPCInews@roswellpark.org or write to: Public Affairs Office, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263.

www.roswellpark.org 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724)

The Western New York Breast Resource Center (WNYBRC) at Roswell Park is changing to better serve breast cancer patients, their families, and anyone who needs breast cancer information. The Center is now part of the Patient Education Department, which also manages the Resource Center for Patients and Families in the Sunflower Café on the first floor of the hospital. This new arrangement will help us streamline our programs and resources.

WHAT WE OFFER • A library of educational resources that includes

medical reference books, tips on managing side effects, and stories of personal experiences. We have materials that inspire, encourage, and provide emotional support. We even have coloring books for family members, young and old.

• When treatment ends, we help patients make the transition by connecting them to wellness services.

• Breast Patient Navigators, who guide patients through the treatment process, also work out of the center. Navigators are trained to identify and remove obstacles that could make it difficult for patients to complete treatment. To reach a Breast Patient Navigator, call 716-845-4479.

HOW TO FIND USThe WNYBRC is open to the public. Please stop in and visit! Located on the second floor of the hospital inside the Breast Center (room 2303), we’re open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have questions or need more information, please call 716-845-4432 during the hours listed above.

We welcome your suggestions. Help us create a BRC that is a place of comfort, learning, and sharing — a place that is both useful and meaningful for you and your loved ones.

LOOKING FOR WIGS, SCARVES, OR HATS?Breast cancer patients can now select a complimentary wig and head covering in the Resource Center for Patients and Families, located in the cafeteria. You’ll have access to a private area where you can experiment with different looks. All cancer patients who are in treatment — even those who are not Roswell Park patients — are eligible for one free wig and one free head covering per year.

The Resource Center for Patients and Families also hosts:

• Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) makeover programs, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, and the Personal Beauty Association.

• The Breast Cancer Support Group and the Young Breast Cancer Support Group (for women who were under age 40 when diagnosed). The Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the first Wednesday of the month; the Young Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the third Wednesday of the month. Meetings for both groups run from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

For more information about these programs, please call the Resource Center for Patients and Families, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 716-845-8659.

The Breast Resource Center is Changing!

Patient Education NotesInformation on this page is provided by Roswell Park’s Patient Education Department. Questions or comments? Please call 716-845-8784.

NAVIGATOR JENNIFER MCCABE HELPS PATIENTS IN THE WESTERN NEW YORK BREAST RESOURCE CENTER.

Find Out What We Offer Patients, Families, and the Public

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STOP IN THE HOSPITALITY ROOM FOR A SNACK, A CUP OF COFFEE, A GOOD BOOK, AND SOME FRIENDLY CONVERSATION.

The Patient Experience Information on this page is provided by Roswell Park’s Office of the Patient/Family Experience. Questions or comments? Please call 716-845-8114.

Whether you’re a patient or the friend or loved one of a patient, you may want something to do while you’re waiting around for test results, clinic appointments, and procedures. Roswell Park offers several ways to help you pass the time — and they’re all free!

1. Borrow a WiFi-ready laptop at the Patient and Family Resource Center on the first floor of the hospital (inside the Sunflower Café). Want to watch a movie? You can also borrow a DVD from the center’s collection. Call 845-8659 for details.

2. Discover your inner Picasso! Our Artists-in-Residence guide art activities in the Resource Center on a regular basis. For more info: 845-8659.

3. Stop by the Resource Center, where patients can select a free wig, hat, or scarf. Everyone’s welcome to peruse the center’s reading materials.

4. Do you have a story to tell? Call Pastoral Care at 845-8051 to find out about Life Recorded, a program that lets you share your most meaningful life experiences through a personal audio- or video-recorded interview. You’ll receive a professionally recorded CD or DVD of the interview at no charge.

5. If you’re at RPCI on a day when a therapy dog is working, call Volunteer Services at 845-3375 to ask if you can arrange a personal visit from one of our furry pals.

6. If your spirit needs rest and renewal, stop by Pastoral Care on the first floor of the hospital, just past the ATM machine. The nondenominational chapel is the setting for guided meditation as well as religious services for several faith traditions. Ask what’s on the calendar for the day.

7. Take a front-row seat in the hospital lobby for daily performances by musicians, singers, dancers, and other entertainers.

8. If you’re a visitor in good health, please consider donating life-saving blood products in our Donor Center. You may direct your donation to a specific patient or to any Roswell Park patient who needs blood products. Contact the Donor Center at 845-8275.

9. Make new friends in the Hospitality Room on the ground floor of the hospital, near Radiation Medicine. Browse the books and other reading materials, or have a cup of coffee and a snack.

10. Keep an eye out for the goodies on the craft cart when volunteers wheel it into clinics and reception areas throughout the day. Try a new craft or fire up your brain cells with a puzzle book.

If you have an idea for a different program or activity you’d like us to offer, the Office of the Patient/Family Experience wants to hear from you! Please fill out a comment card, located in the boxes near the elevators on every floor.

What to Do While You Wait10 Free Activities @ Roswell Park

www.roswellpark.org 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724)

New Pediatric Cancer Chief Named

Roswell Park’s interfaith chapel welcomes everyone for religious services, prayer and meditation, and the celebration of holy days and festivals of several faiths. The Pastoral Care Department invites you to join us in the chapel for:

• A 15-minute Protestant service, every Thursday at noon. Led alternately by RPCI Protestant chaplains Rev. Melody Rutherford and Rev. Elena Delgado, the program includes music, prayer, reflection on scripture, and silence.

• Catholic mass at noon every Monday and on the first, third, and fifth Wednesdays of the month.

• Muslim prayer at 1:30 p.m. every Friday.

• Mindfulness Meditation with Maria at noon every Tuesday.

• Holy days, festivals, and observances of several faiths. Dates and times of these services are posted on the chapel door, or call the Pastoral Care Office at 716-845-8051 for information.

Interfaith Chapel Offers Spiritual Renewal for Everyone

RPCI has been named a 2015 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award winner in the area of Patient Experience. The award recognizes health care organizations that consistently perform in the 95th percentile or above in a particular area of operations.

RPCI’s recognition was based on patient surveys rating inpatient care, plus the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. RPCI performed in in the top 5% of all Press Ganey clients for each reporting period between May 2014 and April 2015.

Kara Kelly, MD, has been named to lead the pediatric hematology/oncology program that is a partnership of Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo (WCHOB), Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), UBMD Pediatrics, and the University at Buffalo (UB). WCHOB, RPCI, and UB have worked together to provide pediatric hematology and cancer care for more than 40 years.

Dr. Kelly comes to RPCI from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she served as professor of pediatrics and associate director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation. She is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in treating pediatric lymphoma and leukemia, and is chair of the Hodgkin Lymphoma Committee of the Children’s Oncology Group.

The chapel is located in on the first floor of the hospital, in room 1400, just past the ATM machine. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We invite you to attend any scheduled services and to use the chapel for quiet reflection, meditation, and prayer.

Roswell Park Named 2015 Guardian of Excellence“This honor is a special one because it’s based on what our patients say about us, how they reflect on the care they received, and their overall experience with Roswell Park,” says Boris Kuvshinoff II, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer and Director of RPCI’s Liver and Pancreas Tumor Center. “We’re enormously grateful to every patient and family member who lets us know what we did right and identifies opportunities for us to get even better.”

THE CARY PAVILION STOOD AT HIGH AND OAK STREETS.

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Opening of First Hospital in 1913 Marked a New Era in Roswell Park HistoryWhen Roswell Park opened its doors in 1898, it was the

first research institution in the world to focus exclusively on

cancer. Originally called the New York State Pathological

Laboratory of the University of Buffalo (UB), it quickly

became the model for cancer research centers that began to

spring up in other countries. But 13 years after its founding,

the Buffalo Medical Journal noted that something was

missing: the other countries had built hospitals along with

their laboratories, and Buffalo had not.

The idea of opening a cancer hospital in Buffalo was nothing

new. In 1901 plans were filed with the Bureau of Buildings

for a three-story cancer hospital that would be connected

to Buffalo General Hospital (BGH). The plan made perfect

sense: Dr. Roswell Park, who had established the New York

State Pathological Laboratory, was a surgeon at BGH, which

was close to his laboratory on High Street.

Although the planned cancer hospital at BGH never got off the

ground, in 1911 the idea resurfaced, with a slight twist. This

time the proposed 30-bed cancer hospital would be affiliated

with Dr. Park’s cancer research laboratory. The New York State

Legislature granted $65,000 for project.

Situated at the corner of High and Oak streets in Buffalo, the

new cancer hospital welcomed its first patients in 1913. It

was named the Cary Pavilion in honor of Dr. Charles Cary,

one of the Institute’s first trustees. It addition to inpatient

facilities, it included a “dispensary,” or outpatient clinic. The

New York Times called it “the most modern of hospitals...

perhaps the most electric and automatic institution in the

city of Buffalo and perhaps in the state of New York.”

The hospital had both an operating room and an X-ray room

where “internal disease can be minutely observed and

studied,” the Times reported. It also featured sun parlors

that could be transformed into “sleeping porches, simply by

opening the windows and introducing the beds.” If a patient

wanted to call a nurse, he could “merely press a button

that illuminates a number of electric bulbs throughout the

building.”

Although the Cary Pavilion would be replaced in the future

with larger and even more modern hospital facilities, its

opening marked a turning point in the history of the institution

that would one day be called Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Now, along with research and education, patient care took its

place as a third critical branch of the Institute’s mission.

A PRIVATE ROOM IN THE CARY PAVILION

Nieves Rodriguez sat with her head bent over the table in front of her, selecting her favorite pastel tints for the tile she was designing. From time to time she straightened up to get a better view of her work. “I love it!” she said.

Rodriguez, who drives a friend to RPCI for treatment twice a week, was taking part in an art activity for patients and visitors in the hospital’s Resource Center for Patients and Families. Art projects are part of RPCI’s Arts in Healthcare program, designed to help participants explore their creative side through music and the visual arts. Six Artists-in-Residence regularly visit the clinics, inpatient units, and Resource Center, inviting everyone they meet to jump in and try something new.

On any given day, you may find musician Greg Barresi playing tunes on his guitar and singing along with inpatients. Someone who’s waiting for a clinic appointment may be painting a silk scarf with guidance from artist Barb Murak. (Murak has helped participants design a total of more than 400 scarves to date!) Other patients may be developing their hidden talents through activities the artists offer occasionally in the Resource Center.

There’s a major bonus along with the fun: The creative arts can “reduce anxiety, depression, pain, and fatigue and increase quality of life in patients with cancer,” according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine (June 10, 2013). RPCI Artist-in-Residence Molly Gold says that’s partly because the arts enable participants

to focus on something outside themselves. Even adults love coloring, she points out. “People say, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is so relaxing! I haven’t colored since I was ten years old.’

“People associate us with Pediatrics, but we’re everywhere,” she adds. “We start out in the eighth-floor Intensive Care Unit waiting room and work our way down through the floors.”

Patient Joyce Lewis regularly stops by the Resource Center while she waits for appointments, and is always happy when she finds an art activity

in progress. “I love things like this,” she says. “They always have something different to keep you busy.”

Artist-in-Residence Shelley Hain encounters the same enthusiasm when she and her fellow artists visit the inpatient units: Patients often peek out of their rooms and invite the artists to come in. “They look forward to us,” says Hain. “It’s awesome!”

RPCI’s Artists-in-Residence Fill the Prescription for Fun

www.roswellpark.org 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724)

Next time you’re in the Sunflower Café, stop by the Arts in Healthcare display near the condiments station to see some of the latest creations from our patients and visitors.

RPCI’s Arts in Healthcare program is funded by donations to the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and proceeds from the hospital gift shop.

I LOVE THINGS LIKE THIS. THEY ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO KEEP YOU BUSY.

RPCI ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE SHELLEY HAIN, RIGHT, ADMIRES THE WORK OF LINDA BOWDEN.

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stay connected

January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month

RPCI Cancer Talk Blog & eNewsletterCANCER

RoswellPark.org/CancerTalk VISIT

A healthy body weight is not just about your appearance; it’s a reflection of your overall health. Obesity is a prevalent problem in the U.S. Nearly 69% of adults and 32% of children are now considered overweight or obese, and the condition is linked to a greater risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease — and cancer.

“Being overweight or obese is a scientifically proven risk factor for developing several specific cancer types,” says Linda Leising, Senior Clinical Dietitian at Roswell Park. Those cancers include liver, ovarian, endometrial, postmenopausal breast cancer, esophagus, pancreas, colorectal, kidney, gallbladder, and advanced prostate.

The good news: this risk is within your control. “Lifestyle factors such as your food choices and your physical activity have a great impact on cancer risk,” says Leising. “Many people worry about factors they have no control over, like their genes, or those lacking a clear, scientifically proven link to cancer, like food additives.” Instead, people should focus on eating a healthy, plant-based diet, avoiding alcohol, abstaining from smoking, and exercising regularly.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY WEIGHT?Weight for an adult is often assessed with a tool known as the body mass index (BMI). This is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by their height (in meters squared). The result gives you a general idea of your body composition.

BMI BMI Category

Less than 18.5 underweight

18.5 to 24.9 normal

25 to 29.9 overweight

30 and above obese

Your BMI is not the only factor that’s important, but it’s a good place to start.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PEOPLE WITH CANCER?When a person who is underweight, overweight, or obese develops cancer, it can have a significant impact on their treatment plan. These BMI factors can suggest the presence of other health conditions and lead to difficulty tolerating and recovering from surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

For cancer survivors, maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of ongoing wellness. “Obesity is associated with greater risk for cancer recurrence and decreased survival rates,” says Leising. “We stress the importance of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight by eating healthy foods and getting regular exercise as recommended by your physician.” For more information about achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: cdc.gov/healthyweight. You can also learn more about RPCI’s nutrition services by visiting roswellpark.org/nutrition.

Healthy Weight is Important for Cancer Survivorship

For straight talk from RPCI experts and survivors, visit our blog to read patient-focused news you can use about cancer detection, prevention, research and treatment. Read inspiring stories and learn about the latest therapies, tips for living with cancer and much more.

Don’t forget to sign up for our monthly e-newsletter that highlights our most popular posts from the CancerTalk blog.

Sign up at: RoswellPark.org/cancertalk/sign-up.