Jefferson Health’s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) recently launched the Geriatric Oncology Center of Excellence to address the needs of a growing patient population through innovative research and care delivery methods via a multidisciplinary approach. The center identifies and removes barriers for older patients with cancer to optimize health outcomes and improve quality of life while establishing a model for best practices.
Comprehensive Program
The Geriatric Oncology Center of Excellence will guide older patients and their families while they navigate the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. The comprehensive program will help patients meet their treatment goals through personalized care plans while creating a bench-to-bedside research program, eliminating the gaps in care delivery across the current medical system and expanding the age-friendly workforce.
Andrew Chapman, DO
Kristine Swartz, MD
SKCC Director Andrew Chapman, DO, who is the only director of a National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center specializing in geriatric oncology, established the Jefferson Senior Adult Oncology (SAO) Center in 2010 as one of the first of its kind in the nation. The SAO center, which is led by Dr. Chapman and Kristine Swartz, MD, Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care and Program Director of the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program, comprises a multidisciplinary team of experts including oncologists, geriatricians, pharmacists, social workers, and dietitians working together to develop personalized treatment plans based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment.
The Geriatric Oncology Center of Excellence will address the entire cancer continuum through five primary pillars: basic science research, translational research, population health research, clinical care delivery, and training and education. To address the effects of a cancer diagnosis and treatment in older individuals, each pillar will have an eye toward survivorship research.
