Our Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program works with the oncology team in addressing unique needs of teens and young adults ages 13 to 39 as they navigate their cancer journey. This specialized program is a joint effort between University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. Our AYA team entails of an adult oncologist, a pediatric oncologist, nurse navigator/fertility specialist, our program coordinator and two patient and family life specialists.
Our team recognizes the complex social, emotional and physical needs of teens and young adults. The AYA team collaborates with other providers to meet the physical and psychosocial needs. We all want to add that unique layer of support that is needed among our patients so we coordinate consistent care, integrate research advancements and optimize our resources to help navigate the journey of cancer. The goal of our program is to provide the opportunity for our young patients to thrive.