Stormont-Vail HealthCare Becomes Founding Partner of Midwest Cancer Alliance

Stormont-Vail HealthCare – through its specialty clinic the Stormont-Vail Cancer Center – has become a founding major clinical research partner of the Midwest Cancer Alliance. The MCA is a network of cancer professionals dedicated to increasing access to the latest advancements in cancer care throughout the Heartland.

In addition to Stormont-Vail, there are four hospitals that have affiliated with MCA as founding partners. They are:

• Goodland Regional Medical Center, Goodland
• Hutchinson Hospital, Hutchinson
• Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center, Pittsburg
• University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City

Announcements of the partnerships were made Jan. 28 at each facility, with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius participating in the press conference at the Stormont-Vail Cancer Center along with Stormont-Vail and MCA executives.

As the only cancer alliance in the Heartland, MCA will foster collaboration and provide strong support to community oncologists in an effort to enhance care for patients across the region. Patients will have access to cutting-edge clinical trials, innovative prevention, early detection and survivorship techniques, cancer screenings and the delivery of comprehensive care in their own communities.

"This partnership is an exciting and important step in the advancement of cancer care in northeast Kansas through enhanced clinical research," said Maynard Oliverius, president and chief executive officer of Stormont-Vail HealthCare. "While this facility is new, our Cancer program has a long history in clinical research trials thanks in large part to the work of Dr. Stanley Vogel."

Dr. Gary Doolittle, medical director of MCA, added that "access to the latest advancements in cancer care is very important for patients who are fighting this horrible disease. Our goal with the MCA is to push these advancements out into the state and encourage collaboration among the network so that oncologists can provide the best care possible for their patients."

The MCA strengthens the link from the University of Kansas Cancer Center's research laboratories to community-based oncologists across the Heartland by pushing new discoveries to partner sites through clinical trials.

The medical oncologists at Stormont-Vail Cancer Center have been involved in clinical research trials for 28 years. The center has an extensive clinical research program with 60 to 70 open research trials. Under the guidance of medical oncologist Dr. Vogel, the Stormont-Vail Cancer Center was nationally recognized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology for its clinical research contributions.

Click here to link to the Midwest Cancer Alliance.