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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Renewed Partnership with NVCI Brings Outpatient Oncology Back to UMC

Gift from The Lincy Foundation Ensures Improved Access to Care

Thanks to months of hard work, thoughtful planning, visionary new leadership and a generous donation from The Lincy Foundation, outpatient oncology services will once again be offered at University Medical Center (UMC). The renewed partnership between UMC and Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) will allow patients to receive a full complement of cancer services starting in early 2010.

Since the announcement of the closure of outpatient oncology services in late 2008, Clark County Commissioners have been meeting with UMC and NVCI leadership as well as other medical providers in the community to solve this issue.

"This is a victory for UMC, NVCI and ultimately for people battling cancer in southern Nevada,” Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid said. “Cancer patients in southern Nevada won’t have to worry about where to get treatment. I’m proud to have been part of finding a solution.”

“It is our collective goal to give the patient everything he or she needs at one location – a true one-stop shop,” Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly said. “This model of providing care will help us retain top-notch oncology physicians and attract and recruit other physicians to Las Vegas.”

The $3 million donation from The Lincy Foundation will be used to renovate space at UMC to build a state-of-the-art clinic for outpatient services, including medical oncology and radiation oncology.

“We are humbled by this extraordinary gift from The Lincy Foundation, a long-term supporter of Nevada Cancer Institute. This gift allows us to partner with UMC to offer high-quality, patient-centered care through the NVCI oncology clinic at UMC,” NVCI CEO and Director John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., said. “We can put our arms around patients and give them everything they need all in one location. This is about the community coming together and finding a solution that improves healthcare.”
Dr. Ruckdeschel has extensive experience in this arena, having created a similar model when he was president and CEO of the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.

Under the new agreement, NVCI will offer radiation oncology at UMC. Providing this service will enable cancer patients to access all aspects of their care – chemotherapy, radiation oncology, imaging and support services – all under one roof. This makes it more convenient for the patient. Additionally, radiation oncology provides additional revenue that will enable the clinic to be financially sustainable over the long term.

This means patients will see the reinstatement of services that previously existed at UMC, most notably outpatient chemotherapy treatments, plus a higher level of service and care once the new clinic opens.

NVCI will provide the following services at UMC:
• Outpatient Services: NVCI will provide outpatient services including medical oncology, malignant hematology and radiation oncology.
• Inpatient Services: NVCI will provide certain inpatient cancer services including patient consults and inpatient cancer coverage.
• Education Services: NVCI will provide oversight of residents and fellows on their cancer rotations at UMC through separate agreements with the University of Nevada School of Medicine.
• Full array of Support Services: NVCI and UMC will offer access to cancer support groups, case management and financial counseling among other services.
• Physician Services - NVCI will provide physician services. It is estimated that the outpatient cancer services will require additional dedicated medical oncologists/internists and a radiation oncologist. These physicians may be jointly recruited and funded by NVCI, UMC and possibly UNSOM using a salary shortfall funding structure.

It is also important to note that unlike the previous agreement, NVCI will not be in a sub-contractor relationship with UMC. NVCI is leasing the space at UMC, and this will be a satellite location of NVCI, giving patients access to the most specialized physicians, latest technology, groundbreaking clinical trials and cutting-edge research.

For more information on the partnership between UMC and NVCI, please call Rick Plummer, Director of Marketing at UMC, at 702-671-1075 or Lisa Stark, Vice President of Communications of NVCI, at 702-822-5580.

Contact Information:
Danita Cohen
(702) 383-3987
Danita.Cohen@umcsn.com
University Medical Center
1800 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102