The Beam: Travel tips, an in-depth look at our dosimetry team and meet our charge nurse

Travel tips for out-of-towners

When you come to Fred Hutch Cancer Center – Proton Therapy from out of town, there can be logistical challenges to solve. Lodging often tops the list, not only because of the expense for extended stay, but also — at least in the summer months — because of scarcity.

At Fred Hutch, we can provide recommendations and have contracted agreements for special rates with several properties nearby.  

Proton therapy social worker Elizabeth Darlington, LSW, can also be a resource. She can be reached at edarlingto@fredhutch.org or 206-306-2815. 

“There are several lodging options including three hotels within a mile of the facility — Nexus, Courtyard and Hampton,” she said. “Patients can even walk from some of these depending on their level of mobility. Two of the three hotels have free shuttles, but none have kitchens.”   

Additionally, Fred Hutch has two lodging facilities close to its South Lake Union Clinic in Seattle — Behnke Family House and Pete Gross House. Pete Gross House offers small apartments for patients and tends to have a waitlist.

UW Medicine also has a facility available to patients being treated at Fred Hutch in the University District called Collegiana. Although these options can sometimes offer lower rates than standard hotels, most of the local hotels offer a comparable rate for Fred Hutch patients. 

For pediatric patients being treated at Fred Hutch, Ronald McDonald House is a free option. In addition, all patients can receive a 45% discount at Extended Stay America Hotels through a partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS). The closest Extended Stay America is 11 miles north of the proton therapy facility, in Lynnwood, Wash.

Social workers and patient navigators at Fred Hutch can help arrange financial assistance, such as grants in the community or the Fred Hutch Donated Family Assistance Fund for qualifying patients.  

“For patients with state insurance (Medicaid), lodging and transportation can often be partially or fully subsidized,” said Darlington. 

Many proton therapy patients opt to stay with family or friends in the area if this is an option for them, and some choose to stay in short-term rentals through companies like Airbnb, VRBO and others.

Fred Hutch experts advise looking for one that has a kitchen and laundry. Staying in an RV can also be an option depending on the time of year, although local RV parks are often fully booked in the summer and none are close to Fred Hutch. Some of our patients have parked their RVs on properties owned by family members during their treatment stay.

“Lodging in Seattle becomes scarce in the summer, when tourists flock here,” said Darlington. “In some cases, patients may have to piece together a few stays at different places if they can’t book the full time at one location. We are happy to help as much as we can.”

Getting around town and to your appointment 

Depending on where you stay, you can walk to the proton facility, or take public transportation like the bus or light rail. You can also rent a vehicle if you don’t have your own car.

Ride services such as Uber, Lyft or a taxi are convenient, but can be expensive, depending on the distance traveled and time of day.  Some patients have biked to their treatment appointments; one even rode his unicycle from Bellingham!

ACS has a volunteer ride program called Road to Recovery. Patients can sign up to have a volunteer drive them to appointments. Sound Generations in King County also has additional free ride programs — Hyde Shuttle for those aged 55 and older and Volunteer Ride Program for those aged 60 and up. 

“You qualify for Sound Generations even if you are only staying in King County while in treatment,” said Darlington. You can find additional transportation options and information here.

When hunger strikes 

Nutrition is an important component to treatment, but it may not always be convenient. Finding lodging with access to a kitchen will be the most affordable meal option comparable to home, according to our experts.

The Behnke Family House and the Collegiana have shared cooking facilities, and most short-term rentals have full or partial kitchens. Even if you cook mostly where you’re staying, you may want to look for housing within walking or a short driving distance to restaurants, since you may not always feel like cooking for yourself or loved ones. Seattle has a great food scene.  

Fun things to do 

The Seattle region also offers an abundance of interesting activities and opportunities, which is why the area is such a popular vacation spot. Depending on your energy level and transportation options, there are many choices.

The proton therapy facility is located north of downtown, but it’s a 5-minute drive or 20-minute walk to Seattle Center, where you will find the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden of Glass and the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), among other sights. From Seattle Center, you can also take the Monorail to downtown for a visit to the iconic Seattle destination, Pike Place Market.  

Seattle has numerous beautiful parks to visit, many of which border Puget Sound, Lake Washington or Lake Union. Here are some of Seattleites’ favorites:  

• Kerry Park on Queen Anne offers a panoramic view of the Seattle skyline. 
• Golden Gardens in Ballard makes for a fun beach outing and in the summer, you can have a fire!
• Though a trek, Colman Pool at Lincoln Park in West Seattle is worth the visit in the summer. It’s an outdoor, heated saltwater pool right on Puget Sound!

If you have a car and a free weekend in the summer months, make the trek out to Mount Rainier National Park. Most people drive up to Paradise or Sunrise and do shorter hikes from there. Just make sure you plan ahead as Mount Rainier now requires timed entry during the summer for certain areas of the park. Also of note: some of the roads in and around the mountain close in the fall and winter, so check before you head out.

If you want a nature outing that’s closer to Seattle, drive to Snoqualmie Falls, another popular destination with a view, a lodge and an optional hike to the base of the falls.  

Don’t forget the quintessential Seattle experience — riding a ferry. You can ride across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island or Kitsap Peninsula and back for an afternoon’s adventure, or take a longer weekend trek to the San Juan Islands for orca watching.

An in-depth look at the role of dosimetrists at Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy

There are many important components to planning and delivering cancer care, and for radiation therapy, one of them is dosimetry, the measurement, calculation and assessment of the ionizing radiation dose absorbed by an object, usually the human body.

“Medical dosimetrists use precision computer software to calculate and optimize radiation dose, customizing it to each patient’s unique anatomy and condition,” said dosimetry manager Bao-Ngoc Thi Nguyen, a Certified Medical Dosimetrist, or CMD, at the proton therapy facility. “The goal is to distribute the prescribed radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. We also perform many quality assurance checks to verify that the treatment plans adhere to established clinical protocols and safety standards.” 

While providers, radiation therapists and nurses work directly with patients, dosimetrists spend their days behind the scenes, working to make sure patients get the most effective dose for their cancer.

“Each structure within the body has its limits of acceptable radiation dose it can sustain over a period of time,” said dosimetrist Chris Gratton, CMD. “It’s our job to manipulate the radiation beam in such a way that we can meet both the physician’s dose coverage goals and organ-at-risk goals. We can do this by carefully choosing the beam angles, the number of beams used, advanced blocking techniques, as well as many other tactics. Our main priority is to give our patients the best life after treatment that we possibly can.”

Becoming a dosimetrist requires specific training and education. Effective 2017, all dosimetrists are required to have a bachelor of science degree and have graduated from a formal medical dosimetry program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.

“The curriculum includes classroom instruction and clinical internships where students design treatment plans under the supervision from either a certified medical dosimetrist or medical physicist,” explained senior dosimetrist Angela Fung, CMD. “Then students must pass the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board examination to become a Certified Medical Dosimetrist. Dosimetrists must also engage in continuing education to maintain their CMD designation.”

At the proton therapy facility, each member of the dosimetry team may work on any disease site. Each disease site presents unique opportunities for learning and research.

“It’s intellectually stimulating and professionally fulfilling to design the best treatment plan for each patient, regardless of the disease site,” said Nguyen.

The dosimetry team works very closely with radiation oncologists as well as the medical physicists. Before creating a plan, dosimetrists and medical physicists devise a planning strategy, reviewing all of the patient’s details such as whether they had prior radiation therapy or have a surgically implanted medical device. Once patients are under treatment, dosimetrists work closely with oncologists and physicists to ensure their treatment plans remain accurate. Changes such as weight gain or loss may require the dosimetrists to adapt the patient’s plan.

Helping to coordinate treatment plan adjustments with other health care providers can be challenging in the workplace.

“We facilitate communication between physics, physicians, radiation therapy, patient access and scheduling in addition to our clinical work,” said dosimetrist Christine Oh, CMD. “This is what I love about working at Fred Hutch.  It is very much a team effort, and everyone has the best patient care in mind.”

Gratton agreed.

“The work is beyond fulfilling,” he said. “We can walk away knowing we’ve helped provide the best treatment plan we could for each of our patients. The warmth and kindness patients experience when they enter the lobby is also echoed throughout all teams. It’s unlike any place I’ve ever been a part of. Every member of every group works cohesively towards the same main goal: To give everyone we have the honor of assisting the best possible treatment and experience. It truly feels like a privilege to work here.”

“Patients and their families may not be aware the role dosimetrists play in their treatment, but it is nevertheless very rewarding and motivating for us to know that our work has a huge impact on their lives,” added dosimetrist Kathleen Morris, CMD. “I am amazed at how kind and supportive we are to each other, always happy to help each other out, helping each other do our best work on behalf of all our patients.”

“When we take good care of our staff, they will take good care of our patients,” concluded Nguyen. “I strive to foster team collaboration and promote inter-department partnership. It’s gratifying to celebrate milestones and achievement as a team. We all share the same goal of delivering the highest quality care to our patients.” 

Meet Micah Ferden, RN, proton therapy charge nurse

Micah Ferden is the charge nurse at the proton therapy facility, whose responsibilities include ensuring the clinic workflow is running smoothly. This means stepping in to assist the nurses with clinic visits, triaging patient symptoms, assisting with pediatric anesthesia and coordinating transport for some patients.

Ferden also tries to synch patient schedules so that they see the same nurse as often as possible.

“I want to foster the development of good provider-patient relationships while on treatment and after,” they said. “Consistently seeing the same nurses while undergoing treatment helps accomplish that.”

Ferden is originally from northwest Minnesota, where they earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing, with a minor in religion. They are now pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Washington. Once finished with the doctorate, Ferden will either continue working in radiation oncology or consider other options such as hospice or palliative care, or family practice with an emphasis on serving the LGBTQIA+ community.

Before joining the proton therapy facility in July 2021, Ferden worked in general oncology and hematology. They’ve always been fascinated with radiation oncology and considered becoming a radiation therapist at one point. They applied at the proton therapy facility after deciding to focus on outpatient care rather than inpatient hospital settings.

“I really love getting to know patients past their diagnosis,” said Ferden. “This is what I really love about oncology as a specialty, because we get to develop relationships over the course of treatment. As charge nurse, I don’t see the same patients consistently, so I make an effort to talk to and get to know them when I have the chance. Our patients inspire me — to become a better nurse as well as a better advocate for them. This inspiration is what led me to continue my schooling, to have a greater impact on their care and to help them achieve their care goals.”

Most of Ferden’s family is still in Minnesota, but here in Seattle, they live with their partner, their partner’s younger brother, their two cats and a dog. When not at work, Ferden loves trying a wide variety of cuisines, going on walks at Discovery Park and playing video games. They also enjoy going to Puget Sound beaches such as Golden Gardens to hear the relaxing sound of waves and admire the natural scenery of the Pacific Northwest.

Please say “hi” to Ferden the next time you see them.

Subscribe to our monthly proton therapy newsletter

Get once-a-month updates about proton therapy, including science and medicine news, survivor stories, staff profiles and more.