“We choose carefully, and we associate with the best,” Murphy said. “We know this is a quality team and quality program.”
Two Premier hospitals — Miami Valley and Upper Valley Medical Center — and 30 Premier physicians became certified members of the cancer network last December. Premier expects to complete the certification of 30 additional doctors as well as Good Samaritan Hospital and Atrium Medical Center by August.
Southwest Ohio’s largest hospital network will join Columbus-based OhioHealth as the only MD Anderson certified hospital networks in Ohio. All toll, the MD Anderson Cancer Network will include 14 hospital systems nationwide.
“By working with MD Anderson we will be able to bring even more options to our patients,” said Anita Moore, chair of the Premier Health Board of Trusteess.
Premier cancer specialists will have access to innovative therapies and treatments and be able to consult directly with their counterparts at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, which is one of the nation’s original three Comprehensive Cancer Centers and helped pioneer the National Cancer Institute guidelines that set the standard of cancer care today.
More than 135,000 cancer patients sought treatment at the cancer center last year, Murphy said, and Premier patients will now have access to the same level of care, only closer to home.
Murphy said the Premier’s affiliation with MD Anderson could be a game-changer for local patients who will essentially have a dream-team of professionals working toward eradicating their disease.
“MD Anderson has one single goal, and that is to eliminate cancer,” he said. “Importantly, though, we understand that we cannot eliminate cancer alone, even with 22,000-plus cancer fighting doctors, nurses, staff, trainees and volunteers. Our institution needs collaborators, and we’re working on building that.”
About the Author