MD Anderson Announces First Latin American Clinical Partnership

MD Anderson News Release August 01, 2014

Leading cancer center’s new clinical extension to address cancer burden in Brazil

MD Anderson News Release 08/01/2014

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has announced a partnership with Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (HIAE) to pioneer multidisciplinary patient care in Brazil and advance MD Anderson’s mission to eliminate cancer globally.

The 489-bed private hospital located in São Paulo will be the first clinical extension of MD Anderson in Latin America and the first international member of MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a select group of hospitals and health systems with access to best practices, education, research and treatment protocols developed at MD Anderson.

“Our mission and vision challenge us to be the single most impactful institution in relieving the burden of cancer globally, and we can achieve this by extending our brand of prevention, care, research and education to like-minded organizations worldwide,” said Ronald DePinho, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein is recognized for its exceptional physicians, state-of-the-art facilities and high quality care, and we’re combining their excellence with MD Anderson’s vast cancer expertise.”

“Brazil has a cancer burden of over a half million cases a year. By expanding our collaboration with Latin America’s leading hospital, we intend to address that challenge by delivering advanced and research-driven multidisciplinary care,” said Amy Hay, vice president of business development at MD Anderson. “Together, we’re changing cancer care delivery in Brazil for the benefit of patients across the region.”

As an associate member of the network, HIAE will be operationally and clinically integrated with MD Anderson across the entire cancer care continuum and mirror MD Anderson’s multidisciplinary, research-driven and patient-centered care.

This means that for the first time in Latin America, patients will have access to a multidisciplinary, multispecialty cancer center with outpatient care, advanced treatment technologies and a full range of support services all in one location.  Services will include medical, radiation and surgical oncology, as well as pathology, laboratory, diagnostic imaging and other supportive clinical services.

“This marks a new era in cancer care delivery in Brazil,” said Deborah Kuban, M.D., professor in Radiation Oncology and MD Anderson’s clinical lead in the partnership. “This is a novel approach to cancer management in Latin America. Patients will have more than just one doctor dictating care. They’ll benefit from the attention of a full multidisciplinary team at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo with the support and experience of MD Anderson in Houston.”

MD Anderson will provide HIAE with clinical care oversight, order sets, and treatment algorithms. The clinical integration will also include planning and clinical program support, faculty and staff education and training, quality measurement and reporting tools, access to clinical trials and research collaborations. HIAE physicians will consult directly with MD Anderson faculty through tumor boards and visits and deliver care based on the same protocols and practice standards provided at MD Anderson.

The partnership represents a historic milestone in the institutions’ long standing relationship. HIAE became MD Anderson’s first formal sister institution in 2002, leading to a number of academic exchanges.

Since 2008, MD Anderson has provided specialized expertise to help transform HIAE’s oncology program into a premier cancer center by focusing on patient care, research, education and prevention. Their joint efforts have resulted in the launch of multidisciplinary breast, genitourinary, thoracic, neuro-oncology and gastrointestinal clinics, a new cancer prevention program and the redesign of oncology facilities to centralize services and optimize the patient experience.

HIAE opened a new Oncology and Hematology Center last December, modeled after MD Anderson’s facilities. The four-story structure features 23 exam rooms, 28 infusion rooms, areas for meditation and yoga therapy and gardens designed to offer comfort to patients and their families. It offers state-of-the-art technology, including minimally invasive surgical techniques, advanced imaging and the first True Beam linear accelerator in South America for cutting-edge radiotherapy techniques. 

Founded in 1971, HIAE was the first hospital outside the United States to be accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) in 1999, and became Latin America's first healthcare institution – and one of only three worldwide – to have a Stroke Care Center certified by the JCI.

MD Anderson’s clinical global reach also extends to affiliate programs in Spain and Turkey. Together with its 29 sister institutions across 23 countries in its Global Academic Program, MD Anderson leads the largest cancer-fighting network in the world.