Published on September 11, 2018
The Phelps Health Delbert Day Cancer Institute has joined the Siteman Cancer Network to collaborate on efforts to reduce the impact of cancer in south-central Missouri through research, treatment and prevention.
The network is affiliated with Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Together, the institutions will provide access to cancer prevention and control strategies, and genomic and genetic testing. Patients also will have access to highly specialized treatments and technologies, including clinical trials at Siteman Cancer Center.
“The Phelps Health Delbert Day Cancer Institute are proud to partner with Siteman, a nationally recognized cancer center,” said Ed Clayton, president and CEO of Phelps Health. “This partnership will bring additional resources and care to cancer patients living in south-central Missouri.”
As a network member, the Phelps Health Delbert Day Cancer Institute will work with Siteman Cancer Center to assess cancer’s impact on south-central Missouri, develop a plan to lessen the overall burden, and measure results. Possibilities include a greater emphasis on reducing smoking rates and promoting cancer screenings and other healthy interventions.
Key components of the network affiliation include:
- Navigators to help patients coordinate access to highly specialized care for complex cases, including access to clinical trials, at Siteman Cancer Center.
- Use of genomic and genetic testing to help identify personalized treatments based on the characteristics of a patient’s disease.
- Development of a database that incorporates such information (with patients’ permission) to improve clinical care and patient outcomes.
- Sharing of best practices to improve patient care. Examples include sharing details regarding how nurses and radiation therapists are trained to care for oncology patients, and implementing industry-approved guidelines for screenings, genetic counseling programs and post-treatment care.
- Implementation of cancer prevention strategies, such as the use of interactive risk-assessment tools, e-books, videos and individual coaching.
- Development of targeted interventions to reduce cancer risk and of evaluation tools to measure success.
The network’s efforts also are expected to increase the number of people screened for cancer, which should result in earlier detection and improved health outcomes.
“Siteman Cancer Center and Phelps Health – through the Siteman Cancer Network – are committed to preventing cancer and transforming patient care in the communities we serve,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of Siteman Cancer Center and the Bixby Professor of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. “Together, we’re working to build a healthier Missouri.”
Through this relationship, the physicians and patients of the Delbert Day Cancer Institute will have access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment resources available through Siteman Cancer Center, with care coordinated by both centers.
“The Delbert Day Cancer Institute was founded on the idea of offering patient-centered care,” Clayton said. “This partnership with Siteman is a natural extension of that initial goal.”