Meet the Clinic Leader from IGG!

In this interview, we meet Pediatrician Monica Muraca from Istituto Giannina Gaslini.

Why did you join PanCareSurPass?

I joined because I coordinate the Late effect Clinic at Gaslini Hospital in Genoa and have been involved in the SurPass implementation in Italy since 2016.

Introduce your clinic shortly.

The late effects outpatient clinic in Genoa (DOPO clinic) started at the beginning of 2000 in close collaboration with the pediatric hematology-oncology department. Currently, it is run by three physicians, a nurse and a resident and follows almost 600 survivors per year. We care for survivors who have passed two years after the end of cancer treatment with no age limit and we coordinate both pediatric specialists in our hospital and adult specialists in other Genoa hospitals to manage possible late effects. More than 300 survivors have received the Survivorship Passport (SurPass v1.2) since 2016.

Why do you think PanCareSurPass is an important project?

I firmly believe that the Survivorship Passport (SurPass v2.0) will enhance the partnership between childhood cancer survivors and health care providers to ensure person-centered long-term care, without discrimination related to different political and economic realities.

What makes this project unique for you?

I started my career in late effects in 2016 working on a preliminary version of Survivorship Passport and am growing professionally by putting my efforts into all projects related to it. I am convinced of its usefulness!

What do you hope this project will achieve?

My hope for this project is to be able to reach as many survivors and healthcare providers as possible!

What’s the biggest challenge for your clinic?

Based on our previous experience with Survivorship Passport at the DOPO clinic, I hope to be well prepared for all the possible challenges of this project!

What’s the most fun thing for you in PanCareSurPass?

Definitely, one of the funniest things I’ve realized in this project is my total inexperience in the interoperability field.  You should see my face and expressions during WP3 meetings [editors note: responsible for technical implementation architecture]! Computer science is not my strong suit!

What’s the most important benefit of your WP for survivors?

I hope to bring all of my expertise to the PCSP project and be a reference for centers that will be using SurPass for the first time!

What else do we need to know about your clinic or is there anything else you want to share?

The results achieved in all projects involving the DOPO clinic are based on a very strong collaboration between a successful team of healthcare professionals and a powerful group of survivors who contribute to our goals! Thank you to everyone!