Closer to Home
November 21, 2013
As its presence expands around the globe, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) has not forgotten about its patients closer to home. New affiliation agreements at the state level are broadening the scope of health care delivery for Tennesseans and their neighbors.
The Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network (VHAN) is the largest provider-organized network of doctors, regional health systems and other health care providers in Tennessee and seven surrounding states. Network providers actively collaborate to provide patients with high-quality, efficiently coordinated and cost-effective health care services.
Affiliates include Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Maury Regional Medical Center, Mountain States Health Alliance, NorthCrest Medical Center, West Tennessee Healthcare and Williamson Medical Center.
These affiliations bring a broad array of cancer services, including specialty care, access to clinical trials, and programs for patient education, community outreach, wellness and survivorship.
In May, VICC formed its second academic affiliation with West Tennessee Healthcare’s Kirkland Cancer Center in Jackson, Tenn.,
creating a framework for the future development of new cancer programs in West Tennessee. The first academic affiliation was with Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation in October 2012.
“By partnering with our neighboring institutions, there is tremendous potential for joint projects and new initiatives that are more efficient, cost-effective and accessible,” said Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., director of VICC. “The statewide affiliations are an extension of our mission to provide outstanding and compassionate care to cancer patients in the region.”
– by Leslie Hill