Local cancer patients will be the main beneficiaries of a new partnership that allows even more services here in the community. St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center has become a member of the Midwest Cancer Alliance (MCA), a statewide organization that provides local access to the latest advancements.
“We are very excited to bring top-notch protocols and research opportunities to Great Bend,” said Dr. Claudia Perez-Tamayo, radiation oncologist at Heartland Cancer Center, which is part of the St. Rose family. “This association with MCA dovetails very well with the high level of patient care we have in Great Bend.”
Patients now may participate in national protocols with the University of Kansas Cancer Center, as well as Phase I and Phase II clinical trials and research, Dr. Perez-Tamayo explained.
“The University of Kansas is well known for its high degree of excellence in all aspects of cancer care,” the oncologist added. “Patients will even have the chance to get a second opinion through telemedicine without leaving Great Bend.”
Hope Krebill, MCA executive director, said the organization’s goal is to make sure Kansans have access to the latest advancements close to home.
“St. Rose and its Heartland Cancer Center share this goal,” Krebill said. “They are great candidates for MCA membership because of their strong interest in providing more options for cancer care to individuals in the Great Bend area. We have welcomed them to the network with open arms.”
MCA links discoveries made in KU labs to a region-wide network of healthcare facilities in an effort to advance the quality and reach of cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship methods, Krebill noted.
She outlined a few of the main benefits of MCA membership to St. Rose. They are:
Access to clinical trials, including new trials developed at KU;
Access to an established network of cancer professionals;
More continuing professional education without travel; and
Access to consultation and second opinion services through interactive televideo (ITV) in Great Bend.
“The community now has access to support groups, advanced clinical trials and cancer prevention programs close to home,” Krebill said. “For the patient, a cancer diagnosis is difficult enough, without adding the burden of travel.”
St. Rose is the newest of 16 MCA members throughout Kansas and western Missouri.