Focused on the patient - Baylor Health Care System

12<strong>Focused</strong> on specialized caretion center, and an apheresis collection center. Baylor Dallas is one of only eight programsnationwide to offer all four of these components.Each year, on the anniversary of their initial accreditation membership, all NMDP networkcenters are reviewed to ensure their continued compliance with membership standards.The transplant center is reviewed based upon criteria adopted by the NMDP to ensure thathematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors will be transplanted at institutions experiencedin allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Donor centers are held to guidelines establishedto ensure that unrelated marrow donors are medically eligible and informed about thehematopoietic stem cell donation process and to safeguard the donor’s health and confidentiality.Apheresis and bone marrow collection centers must continuously meet standardsthat promote donor safety and product quality to include collection, testing, labeling, andtransportation of the product. In 2007, our program was again accredited in all four areas;the program has been continuously accredited since 1984.To assess these patients’complex needs and helpthem develop a higherlevel of function, avariety of professionalsare involved, includingsocial workers, physicaltherapists, occupationaltherapists, and dietitians.Graft-Versus-Host Disease ClinicThe Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) Clinic at Baylor Sammons Cancer Center helpspatients with serious physical complications and psychosocial issues resulting from GVHD.This multidisciplinary clinic is held monthly in the outpatient Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic.Chronic GVHD usually develops at least 3 months after transplant and consists of a reactionbetween the immunological cells (those transplanted from the donor) and recipient cells(those from the individual receiving the transplant). The reaction is most commonly seen inthe liver, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. Many patients experience significant disabling anddisfiguring physical changes from chronic GVHD, which can lead to loss of function, poorbody image, and lack of self-esteem.To assess these patients’ complex needs and help them develop a higher level of function,a variety of professionals are involved, including social workers, physical therapists, occupationaltherapists, and dietitians. The clinic staff is highly specialized and has considerableclinical expertise in treating patients with GVHD. The clinic staff, including Estil Vance, MD,medical oncologist and Jennifer Cather, MD, dermatologist, both on the medical staff atBaylor Dallas, is highly specialized and has considerable clinical expertise in treatingpatients with GVHD.Update on the Apheresis Unit: Novel Researchby Luis Piñeiro, MDDr. Luis PiñeiroThe apheresis unit at Baylor Sammons Cancer Center continues to play an important supportingrole to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. It collected approximately 500stem cell products in 2007. These products were utilized for autologous and allogeneictransplants. Thirteen of these products were collected from donors of the National MarrowDonor Program, for which Baylor serves as a collection center. In addition, the unitperformed nearly 600 extracorporeal photopheresis procedures for the treatment of graftversus-hostdisease (GVHD).