The UAB Department of Urology officially launched the Urology Cancer Survivorship Clinic on May 1, 2026, expanding long-term support services for patients recovering from urologic cancers while helping create a more coordinated approach to post-operative follow-up care.
Morgan Burke, MSN, CRNPLed by Morgan Burke, MSN, CRNP, and Sarah Kilgore, CRNP, the clinic provides a structured, patient-centered model for follow-up care after urologic cancer surgery. By centralizing key visits and evaluations, the clinic supports both recovery and quality-of-life outcomes while improving continuity across care teams.
“This initiative has been in development for several years, and we are excited to finally bring it to life now that we have the necessary space and staffing,” Burke said. “Our goal is to provide comprehensive, coordinated, and personalized care for our patients while also improving continuity and efficiency across the care team.”
Creating a more structured survivorship pathway
The Urology Cancer Survivorship Clinic introduces a standardized follow-up timeline for patients recovering from prostate, bladder, kidney, and testicular cancers. The survivorship visit occurs at least 12 weeks after surgery and focuses on monitoring recovery and addressing common post-treatment concerns.
During these appointments, patients receive prostate-specific antigen testing along with evaluations related to continence and erectile function. The visits allow providers to more comprehensively assess recovery while helping patients better understand the next phase of care following treatment.
Patients who are progressing well are then transitioned back to their uro-oncology teams for continued monitoring and long-term management. Earlier post-operative visits at two and six weeks are still scheduled with advanced practice providers at existing clinic locations.
“The survivorship phase is such an important part of the patient journey,” Burke said. “We want patients to feel supported not only during treatment, but throughout recovery and beyond.”
Improving coordination and patient experience
In addition to supporting patient recovery, the survivorship clinic was designed to improve workflow coordination and streamline follow-up processes across the department.
By centralizing survivorship care in a dedicated clinic, the department aims to reduce administrative burden, improve communication among care teams, and create a more consistent patient experience. The clinic also provides focused visits tailored specifically to survivorship needs and quality-of-life outcomes after treatment.
The clinic initially launched with Friday availability in May and has expanded to include Wednesdays in June as the program continues to grow.
Supporting comprehensive urologic care
The Urology Cancer Survivorship Clinic builds on the department’s broader efforts to provide comprehensive care across the full continuum of urologic health. Programs such as the UAB Men’s Health Clinic already support many of the conditions patients may experience during recovery, including urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Together, these programs reflect UAB Urology’s continued commitment to supporting patients beyond treatment and throughout recovery.
As the program continues to expand, department leaders say the survivorship clinic will help further improve patient outcomes, enhance satisfaction, and strengthen UAB’s role as a comprehensive cancer care center.