Narrator -The University of Kansas Cancer Center, in partnership with The University of Kansas Health System, St. Francis Campus. An expanded partnership between The University of Kansas Cancer Center and St. Francis Campus opens the door to a new era of cancer care.
Steve Anderson - We have an increased connection now with a new co-management agreement between The University of Kansas Cancer Center and the St. Francis Campus. This increased connection, this agreement with The University of Kansas Cancer Center means that this is a new era. This is a new era of increased resources being brought here to Topeka that weren't available before. And so the patients, again, who needed to travel further before, can now stay here in Topeka. We're increasing our technologies. We're installing a new linear accelerator, a new PET CT scanner, more clinical trials more physicians here on campus. All this means healthcare closer to home.
Roy Jensen, MD - I think one of the most important things about the partnership with the St. Francis Campus is that it provides a greater level of access to patients in the greater Topeka area to resources within our cancer center and particularly, the ability to be enrolled on clinical trials that the cancer center offers. As the only NCI-designated cancer center within this region, we believe we have a special obligation to make sure that every cancer patient diagnosed within our catchment area has access to world-class expertise in our wonderful clinical research program.
Terry Tsue, MD - Through our relationship, we're able to work closely with not only the physicians, but in radiology, pharmacy, laboratory to bring expertise available on both campuses to really provide the most information, the best decision-making and the best clinical pathway for taking care of those patients on the St. Francis Campus. By collaborating with our best practices together and learning from each other, we really hope to grow a quality Oncology Community Program. So the patients, when they develop cancer in this peak area they can stay close to their home.
Adrian Caracioni, MD- It brings cutting-edge oncology close to home availability of more trials, more resources locally and cuts down on their travel time and stress associated with travel. It's been a nice collaboration to see how they what their flow looks like for their patient flow which is something that's helped us enhance our patient flow here and working together on quality measures which does nothing but benefit patients. So, there's just a lot of networking that's available for our physicians, for our nurses and then the patients themselves benefit from all of those pieces.
Shalina Gupta-Burt, MD- That same ability to provide the state-of-the-art care with the equipment, the latest in research developments will be available at home. So I think that's the biggest strength that this allows us. Oral chemotherapies is an example, is it gonna be easier for us to deliver cancer care if we have more access to oral chemotherapy and such, right? So, the ability to be able to see what KU can offer as a cancer center to what we can offer as a community hospital can be combined. So, I'll be having the best of all worlds. I'm gonna be right here in the community but I will have the access to what everything at a major medical center, NCI-designated cancer center has.
Hope Krebill - The the Masonic Cancer Alliance or the MCA have partnered with St. Francis Campus since 2008. It's been a great partnership. With this major clinical research partner membership level, we're extending even more clinical trials. The major clinical research partner level is a level that allows us to extend additional clinical trials, trials that might not otherwise be open into Topeka. It allows us to extend additional education to partner on additional outreach events and really support the cancer community.
Susan Adams, RN - When my cancer re-presented, I was still being treated here in Topeka, and I was referred over to The University of Kansas Cancer Center to see Dr. Kasi. He specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. So, I've been seeing him ever since on an every-few months basis. I get all of my CT scans and PET scans through him and each visit with him, I also get a new set of labs drawn. So, he's the specialist in my cancer but I'm able to come back to Topeka and get my treatments here and he and Dr. Caracioni and the other providers here in this clinic talk back and forth. They know anytime there's something new with me here they relay that information to Dr. Kasi and likewise, after my visits with him, he relays that information back to this cancer center and it's marvelous. It saves me the time from having to drive over there every two weeks but I'm still getting that specialized care that they're able to provide.
