NCCCP

Gibbs Cancer Center was selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to help lead the rapid delivery of evidence-based cancer care and research close to home.

As an NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) site our charge has been to participate in a national network of community hospitals to expand cancer research and deliver the latest, most advanced cancer care to more Americans in their home communities.

NCI established the NCCCP as recognition of the essential role that community hospitals play in the health of the American public. The NCCCP seeks to extend NCI science and patient support services to community hospitals – many of which are located in small towns, and rural and urban areas – where most patients live and get their care. Because the majority of U.S. patients are treated at community hospitals, integrating the latest scientific advances and patient support resources into the community is expected to improve cancer outcomes among diverse populations.

Since the 1970s, NCI has supported research and patient treatment programs at NCI-designated Cancer Centers, generally the largest academic research institutions located in the major U.S. cities. NCI estimates that 15 percent of U.S. cancer patients receive cancer care at these centers; the other 85 percent were initially diagnosed, and receive at least their first course of treatment, at community hospital centers.

For many years, Gibbs Cancer Center has provided patients with comprehensive cancer screening, prevention, treatment and palliative care. Patients diagnosed with cancer receive coordinated medical, surgical, and radiation oncology services here. Our affiliation with NCI allows patients to have expanded options for their cancer care, including:

· Gibbs Cancer Center is making it easier for rural, elderly and other medically underserved communities to receive cancer prevention and treatment services. We are increasing the number of free cancer screening events we offer at public places and educating more area residents about the importance of cancer prevention and early detection.

· Gibbs Cancer Center patients are assigned a Patient Navigator – a specially trained nurse or other expert who provides personal assistance arranging financial support, transportation, records coordination, and other cancer care services and helps identify clinical trials that might be appropriate for patients. We are also enhancing our symptom management, end-of-life care and survivorship support.

· Gibbs Cancer Center patients have more options for participating in cancer clinical trials. Volunteers may benefit from trials by receiving the very latest prevention and treatment advances before they are available to the general public.

NCI brings together basic and clinical researchers, patients, physicians, caregivers, policymakers, and others in a common cause: to reduce the worldwide burden of cancer through innovative research and the development of even better interventions to prevent and treat cancer.

Together, Gibbs Cancer Center in collaboration with the NCI is working to create a new future for Americans with cancer so they can receive quality care close to home.

The two primary goals of the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) are:

1)  To improve the quality of care of community cancer centers

2)  To increase access to research in the local community

These two goals work together in providing exceptional care for patients they might only otherwise receive by traveling to an academic medical hospital or designated cancer center.

Gibbs Cancer Center is improving the quality of care in three important ways:

· Gibbs Cancer Center patients have access to patient navigators who guide patients through treatment by providing patient education, resources and referrals to other medical professionals. Patient navigators can further explain a patient’s diagnosis, treatment options, side effects of treatment, and assist in locating resources within the hospital and community.

· Gibbs Cancer Center’s nationally recognized Survivorship Clinic allows cancer survivors to meet one-on-one with a nurse or physician to review the treatment the survivor has received while offering recommendations for follow-up care.

· All patients at Gibbs Cancer Center have access to the highest quality of care.

Like the NCI, Gibbs Cancer Center is committed to research and making it available to more people. We have done the following three things to increase access to research for more patients:

· Gibbs Cancer Center’s clinical trials can be found online

· Gibbs Cancer Center’s navigators explain how clinical trials work and identify trials that patients are eligible for

· More than 30 physicians participate in research at Gibbs Cancer Center, which allows our patients to have the latest treatments without having to travel away from home

In most cases, the ultimate benefit to patients is receiving the care they need in or close to their home community.

For more information about the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program, please visit the home page at http://ncccp.cancer.gov.