Research Project
8288861
Description (provided by applicant): Scott & White Memorial Hospital provides comprehensive, high quality health care for a 38 county area in Central Texas. Since the early 1900s, Scott & White has demonstrated leadership in providing innovative cancer care emphasized by medical education and research. Continuing with this tradition of quality care for the community, Scott & White seeks to continue its funding for the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) to support these objectives. The mission of the Scott & White Cancer Institute is to provide the most comprehensive, highest quality cancer care, focusing on the prevention and treatment of cancer, enhanced by the application of scientific discoveries to ultimately improve the care of those living with cancer at Scott & White and throughout the world. Funding from the NCI since 1997 for our CCOP has enabled the Cancer Institute to evolve into a recognized leader in clinical cancer research and treatment for our service area. The proposed CCOP consists of the Scott & White component and Southwest Regional Cancer Center affiliate. The component and affiliate will work together in promoting innovative cooperative group studies in the community and contributing to quality research through refinement of processes to identify patients for protocol enrollment. The objectives for the CCOP will be to further support the commitment to delivering research options to the community that include cancer control, prevention, and treatment studies. The CCOP will continue to build on the existing strategies to recruit minority participants onto NCI-sponsored protocols by establishing relationships and by providing access to services in underserved areas. The disease-specific teams were developed to expedite patient discussion and treatment plan decisions, will continue to improve processes with a patient-centered approach to treatment. Community-based involvement will be strengthened by increasing participation in cancer-related organizations that support the goal of eradicating life-threatening cancers through education, research, and providing access for underserved areas. A consistent growth in the Central Texas area, increased health plan participation and the expansion of outreach clinics has placed an increasing demand for cancer services at Scott and White.
