MD Anderson is bringing greater access to advanced cancer care in San Antonio
BY Julie Penne
December 08, 2016
Medically Reviewed | Last reviewed by an MD Anderson Cancer Center medical professional on December 08, 2016
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are announcing an affiliation to create a comprehensive and clinically integrated cancer care program in San Antonio.
Beginning in mid-2017, the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center will provide adult cancer patients in South Texas greater access to the most advanced oncology care available.
Through this affiliation, the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) of the UT Health Science Center will collaborate as part of MD Anderson’s international network of hospitals and health care systems dedicated to ending cancer globally. The affiliation will build on MD Anderson’s world-class knowledge and capabilities along with the UT Health Science Center’s expertise and renowned Institute for Drug Development to benefit patients in the 38 South Texas counties served by the UT Health Science Center.
The agreement aligns with the vision of UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven to create a “quantum leap” by building collaborative teams of UT System institutions based on the respective strengths and expertise of the institutions within the UT System.
The affiliation will provide increased access to MD Anderson’s treatment protocols, standards of care, extensive clinical trials and translational research in San Antonio. Patients also will have access to the MD Anderson model of patient-centered, comprehensive care provided by multidisciplinary teams that will provide a new dimension in innovative care and treatment options. Through joint tumor boards, MD Anderson physicians will provide additional multidisciplinary opinions for diagnosis and treatment.
The agreement also will bring new funding from the UT System and private sources to improve the infrastructure at the CTRC, including a newly renovated Patient and Family Welcome Center, and an expanded and more efficient pharmacy, an infusion center designed around the patient experience, a diagnostic suite and a wayfinding system to help patients more easily navigate.
The two organizations will jointly recruit future cancer physicians and allied health staff members. A national search is underway to hire a medical director to lead the new program.
Read more about new affiliation in the MD Anderson Newsroom.