The awards will fund research for treatment and prevention of many types of cancer.
Spring 2015 : Cooperating with Cooper to make great care even better
Cooperating with Cooper to make great care even better
Eighteen years after completing his surgical oncology fellowship at MD Anderson, Francis Spitz, M.D., is back with the institution — but not in Houston.
Francis Spitz, left, is deputy director of MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in New Jersey. Umur Atabek, the head of Surgical Oncology, is among 30 physicians specializing in cancer care at Cooper, a partner member of the MD Anderson Cancer Network. Photo: MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper
Spitz is deputy director of MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden, New Jersey.
When the $100 million, four-story cancer center opened in October 2013, it represented a new partnership between MD Anderson and Cooper University Health Care, and a return to MD Anderson for Spitz.
“This partnership has been a remarkable success for patients, physicians and both institutions,” says Spitz, who also is vice chairman of Surgery for Cooper University Health Care, the clinical campus of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. The Cooper network is the leading provider of health services in Southern New Jersey and serves more than half a million patients a year.
Patient visits to MD Anderson in Camden and its satellite location in nearby Voorhees Township have been steadily increasing. Since opening, the two campuses together have served more than 55,000 new and established patients.
Something in common
Before partnering with MD Anderson, Cooper already had a sizable cancer program and planned to construct a new facility. It also had a goal to elevate the quality of its cancer care. Leadership and physicians there knew MD Anderson could help reach that goal.
“Our leadership wanted a relationship with an institution known for quality and excellence,” says Spitz.
Likewise, MD Anderson wanted confidence that that its standards would be met by the care provided at Cooper.
Through visits at both locations, MD Anderson at Cooper’s team of more than 30 physicians specializing in urology and medical, radiation, surgical and gynecologic oncology began building relationships with MD Anderson physicians in Houston and integrating its approaches to patient care.
“Our physicians were all in from the start,” Spitz says. “They want to provide the highest level of care and to learn from the best cancer team in the world. They wanted to take our cancer care to the next level and they’ve done that.”
Clinicians at both locations have developed strong relationships. MD Anderson clinicians in Houston routinely collaborate on tough cases with Cooper physicians, and work together to decide the best approach to care. The result has been improved clinical care and a better patient experience.
“Standardization helps patients. And when it’s a gold standard like MD Anderson, it makes the care even better,” says Spitz. “It’s remarkable. Now it’s become the expected.”
More Stories From Conquest
Hwu named head of cancer medicine
Patrick Hwu, M.D., joined MD Anderson in 2003 as the first chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology.
DePinho elected to top cancer research academy
The American Association for Cancer Research Academy recognizes those who’ve made significant contributions to cancer research.
Continuing education
Addison Marshall, 22, is on the fast track to success. He’s a student at Texas A&M University carrying a full course load while studying to become a physician assistant. He works at a physical therapy clinic in College Station and teaches a 6 a.m. fitness and conditioning class at a local gym.
The warrior pose
The Little Yogis Program at the Children’s Cancer Hospital provides young patients tools to cope with the pain, anxiety and fear they may face as they undergo treatment.
Living a long life starts early
MD Anderson will lend its cancer prevention expertise to the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program, which is used in schools and after-school programs across the nation. Initial efforts will focus on preventing skin cancer and tobacco use.
The unstoppable Meisha Brown
While being treated at MD Anderson as a child, Meisha Brown was inspired to pursue a career in medical research. Today, she’s a cancer advocate and pursuing her Ph.D.
Colorectal cancer doesn’t care how old you are
According to researchers at MD Anderson, in the next 15 years, more than one in 10 colon cancers and nearly one in four rectal cancers will be diagnosed in patients younger than the traditional screening age.
Getting the drop on lung cancer
When caught early, lung cancer can be cured; however, it almost always goes undetected till it’s too late. Researchers are working on a blood test that will reveal the disease in the early stages.
MD Anderson puts the lab in collaborations
In the modern world of biomedical research, collaboration between academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies is becoming more and more prevalent, necessary and productive.
Suite Relief
Many patients who travel to MD Anderson from outside the Houston area for treatment face the difficult task of finding an affordable place to stay. Several nonprofit groups have been established to help.