Creating a More Unified Experience for Patients
Participation with the National Cancer Institute to develop a national model for community cancer care results in further unification
(Baton Rouge, La.) Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBPCC) and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (OLOL) have entered into an agreement signifying an even closer, integrated alliance in providing cancer care to the surrounding communities. Jointly branded as Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center, the two organizations will move forward together in creating a more unified experience for patients, which will include a phased-in integration of the two organizations cancer services, processes and interactions.
“For over 25 years, Mary Bird Perkins and Our Lady of the Lake have had a long, successful history of providing the full spectrum of cancer services,” said Scott Wester, President and Chief Executive Officer, Our Lady of the Lake. “And with our successful participation as a National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) site since 2007, we felt it was the right time to formally acknowledge our close relationship by unifying our cancer services under one brand. We [MBPCC and OLOL] came together years ago because of our desire to provide patients with the highest quality care and that’s what continues to drive us today.”
MBPCC and OLOL have been accredited together since 1992 by The American College of Surgeons, which is the gold-standard for community-based cancer care. However, the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) competitive selection of the Cancer Center as a National Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) site in 2007 quickly accelerated the partnership’s progress.
NCI recently selected the Cancer Center for continued participation in NCCCP for the next two years. Together with 20 other centers across the United States, Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center will continue its focus on the accessibility of high quality cancer care across the entire cancer care continuum, including best practice survivorship services, leading-edge clinical trials, and multidisciplinary cancer care teams dedicated to expertise with specific disease sites.
“This is the natural next step in our relationship. The opportunity to work even more closely with the largest hospital in the state, and the ability to stay at the absolute forefront of cancer care through NCCCP, helps ensure the most coordinated and personalized experience for cancer patients, said Todd Stevens, President and CEO, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Partnerships are an emerging trend in cancer care partly because of the complexity of the disease and the immense resources required for care. We’ve been partnering for decades to help cancer patients; it’s time to do so as a unified cancer center.”
While MBPCC and OLOL will be unified in its cancer care efforts, the two organizations will remain separate entities with individual board leadership. The overall governance structure of the unified Cancer Center will be provided by the Cancer Center Leadership Team, consisting of MBPCC and OLOL executives and medical staff leaders who will oversee its strategic direction. Cancer Center staff will continue to work for their respective organizations, and physicians will retain their current status as members of the MBPCC or OLOL medical staffs. MBPCC will continue serving its other established markets and partners.
Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center is the most comprehensive cancer center in Louisiana offering patients the convenience of receiving high-quality, advanced care close to home. The Cancer Center is part of the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP), a group of competitively selected cancer centers that are developing a national model for community cancer care.