Cancer care co-ordinator 'hits the ground running' to keep patients near home

Mrs Owen began as the region's first paediatric cancer care co-ordinator on April 11, based at Albury hospital and the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre.

"We actually already had some situations, where this role has meant we've been able to facilitate families getting scans done locally, they didn't have to travel to Melbourne; where we've been able to facilitate care to be local so they didn't have to travel, so it's already making a huge difference," she said.

Liaising between Albury Wodonga Health and Melbourne centres like The Royal Children's Hospital, Mrs Owen aims to help the young patients spend more time at home.

"I just think it's really important for families to be back where they feel safe, supported and they've got their network," she said.

The co-ordinator position became possible through a $330,000 commitment from the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund and two major donors - SS&A Club Albury, and Danny and Caroline Phegan and family.

The SS&A will provide $60,000 a year, and the Phegans $50,000 a year, as part of a three-year pledge.

Mr Phegan said his family hoped the program would continue beyond three years.

"Cancer itself is a tragic disease but when it affects children, that just really is unquantifiable, how debilitating that can be not only to the patients but to the families," he said.

"We just want to do our bit to hope that kids can reach the stars."

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SS&A chief executive Gerard Darmody said his club had supported the children's ward for many years but funding an actual position was a first.

"While it's vitally important to have the equipment, having the people to drive the program and bring enthusiasm to the role will be a great benefit to the Albury-Wodonga region," he said.

"We're grateful to be able to continue to support the local community that we're part of and be able to keep the kids and their families closer together and closer to home through really tough times."

Mrs Owen, who has more than 25 years of paediatric nursing experience, said there were about 60 Border and North East child cancer patients currently, with about six to eight new diagnoses a year.

Albury Wodonga Health director of paediatrics Mark Norden said the service was excited by the potential of the co-ordinator role, a new program for regional Victoria.

"We can do a lot more here and the more of these we have around the state, the more we can do closest to the child's home," Dr Norden said.

Trust fund board member David Baker thanked the donors as well as the broader community for their ongoing support and generosity.

He echoed hopes the co-ordinator position might extend beyond three years.

"Jo's been five weeks and she's certainly hit the ground running and if that's any indication going forward, I would think absolutely," he said.

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