History
Around the year one thousand, the temple built on the Tiber Island in honor of the God Asclepius was replaced by a shrine-shelter for the sick dedicated to the Apostle Saint Bartholomew. In the sixteen century, two members of the newly formed Congregation of the Brothers Hospitallers settled on the Tiber Island and began to apply the principles of humanization and hospitality that would later be a constant feature of that Order. Some years later, fifteen monks settled on the island and introduced healthcare innovations revolutionary for that time, reserving a bed to one patient, developing what would become one of the most important hospitals in Rome in the following centuries. Since January 2000, the Medical Oncology Unit has fully responded to the many needs of cancer patients. Recently the hospital changed its name and ownership having been acquired by the Policlinico Gemelli Foundation. The new name is Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina Gemelli Isola.
Profile
Our Hospital is located in the centre of Rome on Tiber Island. The hospital has about 270 beds. The Medical Oncology Unit is part of the Center of Excellence for Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology and Radiology. It is composed of 6 beds for in-patients recovery and 8 beds for the out-patient treatments. Six oncologists, 12 nurses, a psychologist, a nutritionist, a social worker, a physiotherapist and a geriatrician are now employed.
The Surgery Department features 8 surgical wards (five of which are involved in cancer treatment), an Internal Medicine Department, an Emergency Department 24hours/24 open (with Resuscitation Unit and Intensive Unit Care), and all other services (clinical, microbiology and molecular biology Laboratories, Pathologist, Radiology) are also effectivelly active. There is also a Radiation Therapy Service equipped with two linear accelerators and a Gamma Knife.
The Oncology Unit works jointly with the Service of Radiotherapy and the Surgery Unit for planning the optimal treatment for cancer patients according to national and international guidelines and the hospital can offer most of the diagnostic and therapeutic care required. For the treatment of the more complex cases, a collaboration with Policlinico Gemelli was also estabilished. In 2022 about 800 new cancer patients have been followed by our Medical Oncology Unit.
Specialities
Gastrointestinal, Breast, Head and Neck, Urological and Lung Cancers
Palliative and Supportive Care
The "mission" of the Oncology Unit in our hospital is sharing an integrated clinical-therapeutic pathway amongst different specialists to provide solutions to all the needs of cancer patients; to guarantee them the continuity in care and treatment during all the history of disease, and to support relatives and family during the disease and on bereavement. This program has been realised through a close integration among different health and social professional figures involved in the treatment and assistance of cancer patients.
A Simultaneous Care Model, with the integration of supportive and palliative care throughout the course of illness until death, is also provided. We are not able to assist personally our patients at home and so we have organised a "handing over phase” that takes the form of a sharing of the assistance project with those structures in the local area that are entrusted with assistance at home during the chemotherapy and the advanced stage of illness. A joint assessment is carried out, by the hospital team and the home or hospice assistance team, which takes place ensuring continuity in assistance and therapy for every patient with advanced cancer.
Last update: August 2023
