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Bigger C Encouragers
A faith-based program
The Bigger C Encourag-
ers, a faith-based program
of DCH Pastoral Care
Services and support-
ing congregations, is a
communitywide Christian
organization that offers
cancer patients and their
families and friends an
opportunity to share their fears, hopes and desires for a
healthy future.
“Faith-based support is a vital part of cancer care,
and the Bigger C Encouragers provides an incredible
resource to help our Christian cancer patients use their
faith as an essential part of the healing process,” said
Ron Howard, Director of Pastoral Care for the DCH
Health System.
The Bigger C Encouragers is supported by these
congregations: Calvary Baptist Church, Canterbury Epis-
copal Chapel, Celebration of Living Fellowship Church,
Christ Episcopal Church, College Hill Baptist Church,
Cornerstone Full Gospel Baptist Church, First Baptist
Church, First Presbyterian Church, First United Method-
ist Church, Forest Lake United Methodist Church, Life-
way Christian Store, North River Church, Saint Matthias
Episcopal Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Univer-
sity Church of Christ, Woodland Forrest Baptist Church,
all in Tuscaloosa; Jennings Chapel United Methodist
Church, New Zion Baptist Church, Saint Mark United
Methodist Church, The Church At Tuscaloosa, all in
Northport; First Freewill Baptist Church in Reform; and
First Presbyterian Church in Aliceville.
For more information, go to
www.TheBiggerC.org
or call
205-345-8444
.
THE REV. KIMBERLY S. RUSSELL,
M.Div., has
joined the clinical staff of the Department of Pastoral
Care Services at DCH Regional
Medical Center. Russell special-
izes in the spiritual and emotional
care of patients, families and staff
at the DCH Cancer Center and
the inpatient oncology units at
the Regional Medical Center and
Northport Medical Center.
“The addition of a full-time,
clinically trained chaplain ensures
that the hospitals excel in caring for
the physical, emotional and spiri-
tual needs of those affected by cancer,” Russell said. “I also
serve as an active leader for the Bigger C Encouragers,
a faith-based cancer support group adopted by DCH.”
Russell moved to Tuscaloosa from Atlanta in March.
She graduated from Kennesaw State University in Ken-
nesaw, Ga., with a bachelor’s degree in theater and
performance studies. She earned a master of divinity
from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University
in Fort Worth. While there, Russell completed a clinical
pastoral education internship at Children’s Medical Center.
Upon graduation, Russell returned to Atlanta, where
she spent a year completing her clinical pastoral edu-
cation residency at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,
Scottish Rite.
She was ordained as a minister in 2010 by the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ). She has served at churches
in Marietta, Ga., and Dallas. She has received Ecclesiasti-
cal Endorsement for health care chaplaincy through the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Before joining DCH Pastoral Care Services, Russell
was a chaplain with Hospice Advantage in Kennesaw. “I
am excited to be at the Cancer Center to provide care for
the people of West Alabama,” Russell said.
The chaplain position was made possible through an
anonymous grant to the DCH Foundation, Inc., to expand
pastoral care ministry for patients living with cancer.
STARTING IN JUNE,
the DCH Cancer Center will
treat cancer patients with the latest radiotherapy technol-
ogy that is two to eight times faster than conventional
forms of radiotherapy. RapidArc, a fast, precise form
of treatment, uses advanced technology from Varian
Medical Systems.
“RapidArc makes it possible for us to deliver highly
precise radiotherapy treatments quickly,” said Cancer
Center Director Domingo Valpuesta. “These treatments
target tumors accurately while sparing the surrounding
healthy tissues.
“RapidArc treatment is a particularly good option for
prostate cancer because of shorter treatment times and
dose conformity. The same speed and precision also en-
hance treatment of the abdomen, lungs, head and neck,
for example.
“RapidArc treatments are faster, and that can help
make treatments easier on a patient,” Valpuesta continued.
“For example, some people find it hard to hold still for
long periods of time. By delivering doses more quickly,
we can simultaneously improve the quality of care and
make our patients more comfortable.”
DCH Cancer Center treats patients with a fast, precise cancer treatment
THE TECHNOLOGY
RapidArc treatments at the Cancer
Center will be delivered using a linear accelerator outfit-
ted with an imaging system to generate and use images
to guide patient placement and treatment delivery.
During a RapidArc treatment, the radiation beam is
shaped and reshaped as it is continuously delivered from
virtually every angle in a 360-degree revolution around
a patient.
“By reducing the time it takes to deliver precise
forms of radiation therapy, RapidArc has the potential
to improve the quality of care and of patient comfort
for many types of cancer, and that is a huge win for
everybody,” said Dr. Curtis Tucker, radiation oncolo-
gist at the Cancer Center.
ABOUT THE DCH CANCER CENTER
The original
Cancer Center opened in 1986 on the campus of DCH
Regional Medical Center. A new cancer center opened
in May 2009. The Cancer Center holds its second
three-year accreditation with commendation from
the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American Col-
lege of Surgeons. This is the highest level of approval
granted by the organization.
The Cancer Center also is affiliated with MD Anderson
Physicians Network®, and CoC approval is a prerequisite
for the MD Anderson affiliation.
To learn more about the MD Anderson Physicians
Network®, check out the story on page 1. For more
information about the Cancer Center, visit
www.dchsystem.com/cancer
.
QUICKER THAN A RAY OF LIGHT
The Rev. Kimberly S.
Russell, M.Div.
S P R I N G 2 0 1 2
2
H E A L T H Y C O M M U N I T Y