Printer-friendly format

Wen aggressive medicine no longer is effective… when chemotherapy or radiation and other treatment methods cannot stop the progression of cancer, Dr. Clyde Smith gently suggests an alternative to his patients – Hospice.

“The medico-mechanical way of taking care of people with terminal illnesses that we have used over the last 40 years is not a good approach as people end their lives,” said Smith, a board-certified hematologist/hospice/palliative care physician at Medical Specialty Clinic in Jackson. “Hospice is a better way of taking care of people at the end of their life.”

For nearly 30 years, Smith has been an integral part of the Jackson medical community. In July of 1979, he helped form Medical Specialty Clinic and was one of the first medical subspecialists to practice in Jackson.

As a part of his practice as a hematologist and oncologist, Smith treats cancer and life-threatening blood diseases.

“I enjoy what I do, even though it is not an easy subspecialty,” said Smith. “Many patients I treat each day are terminally ill and need an alternative when aggressive medicine, chemotherapy or radiation and other treatment methods are not stopping the cancer’s progression.”

Hospice of West Tennessee is an important part of Smith’s practice. Started as a grass roots movement in 1983, the local program came under the direction of West Tennessee Healthcare in 1987. Smith has served as the organization’s medical director since 1989.

Rather than maintaining an aggressive approach to fighting a losing battle with an illness, Hospice focuses on symptom management, a patient’s comfort and helping patients and their families through a difficult time. Smith explained, “It works because it is a team approach, involving a physician, nurse, nurse assistant, social worker and chaplain, who all work together for the benefit of the patient and his or her family.”

As medical director, Smith meets weekly with each of the seven Hospice teams to review cases as well as mentor and advise the caregivers and staff. Annually, Hospice of West Tennessee sees about 700 to 800 patients.

“Our average daily census was about 35 patients 10 years ago,” said Andy Gardner, registered nurse and director of Hospice of West Tennessee. “We have seen that number steadily increase as the medical and community as a whole has become more educated about Hospice.”

Smith has been one of the biggest promoters of Hospice care in West Tennessee, added Gardner. “He is such a Hospice educator. He works hard to teach families, staff and physicians in the area on what Hospice does and can do for a patient.”

Within his first year of working with the Hospice program in West Tennessee, Smith said he had a greater insight into what happens to a patient with a terminal illness as well as the effects it can have on a family. “I saw what help Hospice gave them. It addresses not just the physical side, but the psycho-social and spiritual sides of terminal illness.”

When caught early enough, many cancers today are curable, Smith said. For some patients though, the cancer cannot be cured. There is that point where the treatment or medicine has done about all it can to treat the cancer, he said, and trying another drug or treatment may prolong life a little, but the side effects created outweigh the benefits. “That’s when I bring up Hospice,” said Smith. “So we can focus on what we can do to improve the quality of the patient’s life.”

When Hospice first started, back in the 1980s, he said, it was usually his suggestion for the patient and family to consider Hospice. Today, some patients and their families ask about Hospice before he suggests it.

Some patients, however, still have misconceptions about Hospice, he explained. They think Hospice means the physician has given up on them or they can no longer go to the hospital, or they will be doped up with medicine. None of this is true, he said. In fact, Smith has even taken some people out of the Hospice program because they have gotten better.

Besides the growth of Hospice care over the years, Dr. Smith has seen major changes as well as improvements in patient care. “More procedures are done on an outpatient basis, and medicine is focusing more on genetics, which will provide better treatments and prevention of disease,” said Dr. Smith.

Smith’s dedication to his patients has been recognized by others. In 2004, the staff at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital named him the Guest Excellence Doctor of the Year. The next year, the staff at Medical Specialty Clinic honored him with “Cooking Up Something Special,” a cookbook printed by the clinic and dedicated to him. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook go to Hospice of West Tennessee.

While Smith is a dedicated physician and Hospice advocate, his family is the most important aspect of his life, he said. “They keep me on course, get me through tough times and are with me through the happy times. My belief in God also helps me in every aspect of my life.”

Dr. Smith, a medical graduate of the University of Tennessee, also had his post graduate fellowships at UT. He practices at Medical Specialty Clinic in Jackson with Dr. Justin Baker and Dr. Archie Wright. Besides hematology/oncology, other specialists at the clinic are Dr. Ron Weiner, cardiology; Dr. Mac Jones and Dr. Patrick Teer, dermatology; and Dr. Charles Hertz, Dr. Robert Hollis, Dr. Mike Ibach and Dr. Dan Kayal, gastroenterology.



March 2008

Tags:

None

Login and voice your opinion!