ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center joined today with hospitals, health systems, physicians and supportive care teams from across the state, all committed to reducing the burden of cancer, to announce the launch of the Roswell Park Care Network. Led by Roswell Park, the network is the most expansive community cancer, supportive and specialized care affiliation in the region — spanning Western New York, Central New York and beyond — and the only one to offer patients across those locations the distinct benefits of a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center.

The Roswell Park Care Network builds on existing partnerships to expand the reach and impact of comprehensive cancer care across Western and Central New York, and extending into nearby communities in Northwest Pennsylvania. The network improves the quality of cancer care by expanding patient access to personalized cancer care plans that are based on national cancer care guidelines, prevention programs, cancer screening, clinical trials and genomic and genetic testing.

“No one should have to choose between convenience and quality when facing a decision about where they or a loved one should seek care for cancer,” says Roswell Park President and CEO Candace S. Johnson, PhD. “But too many patients weren’t getting access to things like clinical trials, precision medicine and care that accords with national guidelines. So we reached out to quality-driven cancer care providers across the state to develop a program for applying Roswell Park best practices and quality oversight seamlessly across a wide variety of community settings.”

“The treatment options you have to select from, the expertise of your care team, the availability of supportive care and genomic testing — these are all factors that can make a big difference in patient outcomes and quality of life. Traditionally, these are services that are only available within the walls of NCI-designated centers like Roswell Park, but we know that through technology, collaboration, communication and rigorous quality monitoring, we can make this comprehensive platform available to cancer patients across the state,” adds Thomas Schwaab, MD, PhD, who oversees the network in his role as Roswell Park’s Chief of Strategy, Business Development and Outreach.

The member centers include a mix of community practices, hospital affiliates and clinical research partners:

• Breast Care of WNY, also known as Roswell Park Breast Surgery (Williamsville, NY)
• Catholic Health Services Long Island (Rockville Centre, NY)
• Cayuga Medical Center (Ithaca, NY)
• Jamestown Medical Oncology & Hematology (Jamestown, NY)
• Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center (Niagara Falls, NY)
• Oneida Health Cancer Care (Oneida, NY)
• Roswell Park Hematology Oncology Northtowns (Williamsville, NY)
• Roswell Park Hematology Oncology Southtowns (West Seneca, NY)
• Roswell Park Hematology Oncology of Niagara (Niagara Falls, NY)
• Roswell Park Urology (Niagara Falls, NY)
• Southtowns Radiation Oncology — In Partnership with Buffalo Medical Group and Catholic Health (Orchard Park, NY)
• Upper Allegheny Health System (Olean, NY and Bradford, PA)

Roswell Park Care Network member sites share a mission to enable better quality and efficiency in care by ensuring that patients have access to the newest technology and most innovative therapies available so that they can live their best life during and after cancer treatment. Member teams diagnosis and treat all types and stages of cancers, and include physicians who specialize in the treatment of non-cancerous conditions as well. Current services offered in affiliation with Roswell Park differ by location, ranging from outpatient chemo-infusion, radiation therapy and immunotherapy to surgical consultations, second opinions, advanced diagnostics and access to new treatment approaches available through clinical trials.

The network has been launched with the goal of ensuring that every medical oncology/hematology patient will have a personalized care plan developed through Roswell Park’s Clinical Pathways — a guide that helps the clinical team to develop the very best plan for each individual patient based on national standards, available clinical trials, physician expertise and that patient’s needs.

“The delivery of care that’s possible through a visionary collaboration like the Roswell Park Care Network allows us to provide quality cancer care services and the latest treatment options from a nationally ranked cancer center, close to home. We’re excited to be a partner of Roswell Park in providing cancer care services to the Central New York region,” says Gene F. Morreale, President and CEO of Oneida Health System, which has been collaborating with Roswell Park since 2015.

“Partnering with Roswell Park gives our patients access to the newest and most innovative treatments available only through clinical trials,” notes Catholic Health Services of Long Island President & CEO Alan D. Guerci, MD. “Clinical research studies move the field of cancer care forward, and now CHS patients will be able to participate in these groundbreaking treatment approaches.”

For more information about the services available through the Roswell Park Care Network and the oncology professionals providing care at member sites, please see roswellpark.org/carenetwork.