UMass Memorial Medical Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have notified the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission that UMass Memorial Medical Center intends to become the first academic medical center to join the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative. The agreement, for adult medical oncology services, formalizes the relationship between oncologists from the two hospitals; provides patients with especially complex cancers expedited access to Dana-Farber specialists; and enhances specialized educational, training, and consultation opportunities for UMass Memorial Medical Center providers.
“We are proud to be the newest member of the well-regarded and nationally recognized Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative,” said Eric Dickson, MD, Chief Executive Officer of the UMass Memorial Health Care system. “This relationship builds on our long relationship with Dana-Farber for rare cancers. It will strengthen our adult medical oncology services and, together with our expert surgeons and radiation oncologists, assures that UMass Memorial Medical Center provides the very best cancer care for the people of Central and Western Massachusetts.”
Membership in the collaborative will also ensure that UMass Memorial Medical Center staff will be able to consult with medical specialists at Dana-Farber, as needed. The two hospitals will explore the feasibility of expanding opportunities for patients to participate in clinical trials at either site.
Members of the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative must meet the highest standards of care across a wide range of practices and procedures, which are reviewed annually, and new practices and innovations in patient care are shared with member hospitals.
“We are excited to welcome UMass Memorial into the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative and look forward to deepening our relationship,” said Laurie Glimcher, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. ■
