Duke Health, WakeMed Agree to Collaborate on Cancer Care
By: Sarah Avery, Duke Health News
Duke Health and WakeMed Health & Hospitals have announced the signing of agreements to create Cancer Care Plus+, an innovative cancer care collaboration that will serve the growing cancer care needs of patients in Wake County. Cancer Care Plus+ will become effective May 1, 2017.
Similar to the Heart Care Plus+ collaboration announced by Duke and WakeMed in mid February, Cancer Care Plus+ is designed to enhance the commitments of both organizations to population health management and delivery of easily accessible, value-based cancer care throughout Wake County.
Cancer Care Plus+ will be anchored at Duke Raleigh Hospital and will combine a variety of Wake County-based Duke Cancer Institute specialty services and locations, cancer specialists and clinical research programs, with the surgical cancer capabilities at WakeMed’s hospitals in Raleigh and Cary. Cancer Care Plus+ will, for the first time, create a programmatic cancer service throughout the WakeMed system that will coordinate with the Duke Cancer Institute.
“This is an exciting and important collaboration with WakeMed that we believe will greatly benefit cancer patients, and their families, in Wake County and neighboring communities,” said Michael Kastan, MD, executive director of the Duke Cancer Institute. “Cancer Care Plus+ will streamline the screening and access of cancer patients in Wake County to Duke’s broad portfolio of innovative cancer clinical trials, increase multi-disciplinary team cancer capabilities, and increase access to supportive care services such as hereditary and genetic counseling.”
As is the case with Heart Care Plus+, Cancer Care Plus+ does not represent a merger of the two organizations. Both organizations will retain their full independence and identities.
“Working together with our colleagues at Duke to streamline, enhance and expand the delivery of oncology care in Wake County is an exciting development and a critical need for patients, caregivers and the communities we serve,” explains Donald Gintzig, WakeMed president & CEO. “This agreement supports both WakeMed and Duke’s commitment to improving the scope, quality and value of care we offer to our patients and their families through innovative and cooperative collaborations with like-minded organizations.”
In February, Duke Health and WakeMed announced the Heart Care Plus+ relationship. That effort brought together Duke’s recognized specialty and sub-specialty services and physicians with WakeMed’s legacy for excellence in heart care through the WakeMed Heart Center and its network of physician practices throughout Wake County.