History
Carlo Poma Hospital was founded in 1913 and its name is linked to Doctor Carlo Poma one of the Martyrs of Belfiore from 1852. The hospital features Medical and Surgical Departments, a Pathological Anatomy Laboratory, Radiotherapy Unit and Radiology and Nuclear Medicine facilities, providing care for the whole province of Mantova.
Profile
The Medical Oncology Unit is directed by Doctor Maurizio Cantore. The Oncology Department is located on a single floor of Carlo Poma Hospital and includes an inpatient ward and a Day Hospital. Within the ward there are 16 beds managed by 2 Medical Oncologists, 14 nurses and 4 social health operators. In the Day Hospital there are 6 beds and 9 chairs for daily chemotherapy and supportive care, managed by 7 Medical Oncologists, 3 Haematologists and 13 nurses. The activity of Day Hospital includes the insertion of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) executed by 3 specialised nurses. The Onco-Haematology team is also supported by 2 data managers who deal with research activities. Solid and haematological neoplasms are treated with a median of 1200 new cases and 8000 cycles of chemotherapy each year.
Specialities
The Onco-Haematology team responds to patients needs through diagnosis, treatment, assistance, rehabilitation and follow-up programmes. Multi-disciplinary teams are routinely active in treating cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, gastrointestinal tract and haematological cancers. From the point of diagnosis, there is early integration of palliative care and psychological and spiritual support for patients and their families. Patients admitted to the Oncology Ward who are over the age of 70 years at first diagnosis of cancer, are also evaluated by Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment. In recent years our Unit has hosted, for cancer patients, several concerts with "Donatori di Musica" Association. Since March 2021, an independent newspaper has been printed for patients and their families in which we report on the services provided by the Oncology Unit as well as scientific articles.
Palliative and Supportive Care
Teresa Sabina Mediani (MD) is responsible for the Palliative Care Unit which is located close to the Oncology Department. Palliative care is provided by the following nodes: hospital assistance with multi-professional palliative medical specialist and nursing consultancy in the various care regimes; outpatient care; residential care (hospice with 10 beds) with hospitalisation and provision of specialised medical, nursing, rehabilitation, psychological services, support with artificial nutrition preparations, social services, tutelary, spiritual support and bereavement assistance; home care throughout the provincial territory through dedicated multi-professional and multidisciplinary teams (professional medical, nursing, rehabilitation, psychological, nursing aid-OSS services, tutelary assistance and spiritual support). The home care pathways include a basic level and a specialist level that are interdependent on the basis of clinical and care stability-instability. Every week oncologists and palliativists discuss the cases both from the clinical and psycho-social point of view to define a personalised care for each patients.
Last update: August 2024
