Naples Comprehensive Health plans to expand the system’s oncology services through a strategic collaboration with one of the country’s top-rated cancer facilities.
The collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, announced Oct. 28, will give NCH access to a variety of clinical resources offered by the Chicago-based health care system, including the ability to consult with oncology experts, refer patients for second opinions and the opportunity to leverage the latest in clinical trial offerings.
NCH President and CEO Paul Hiltz said that while NCH has provided oncology services for years, about 40% of Collier County cancer patients leave the county for treatments.
“We want to change that, and thanks to philanthropic efforts and a new collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, we will expand our infusion therapy services and provide a really world-class environment for that kind of treatment, which our community deserves,” Hiltz told a crowd of about 50 gathered at NCH for the announcement.
He said the expansion of infusion therapy services was made possible by a “significant” gift from local philanthropists Jim and Fran McGlothlin, and that philanthropic efforts for oncology service expansion will be ongoing.
Hiltz said NCH will continue to recruit new cancer physicians and nurses to Collier County, and Northwestern will provide patients with access to “leading-edge” clinical trials.
NCH also announced an expansion of women’s cancer services, naming Dr. Ed Grendys, a gynecologic oncologist, as medical director to lead the advancement of the NCH Women’s Cancer Program. NCH officials said this will include the opening of a women’s cancer center on the system’s North Naples campus, offering comprehensive gynecologic oncology surgery and treatment.
Grendys said he thinks the multidisciplinary approach in collaboration with Northwestern will improve cancer care locally and regionally.
“I think this approach is going to dramatically expand the opportunity to offer initial evaluation of patients and innovative surgical treatments with the addition of new operating rooms and new technologies, as well as chemotherapeutic and radiological innovations to help with care and follow-up,” he said.
Asked if the expansion of services would eventually lead to a new building, Hiltz said that could be a possibility.
“The first step is to renovate our infusion center, which is on this campus,” Hiltz said. “We’ll be expanding the women’s cancer services at the North campus, but ultimately we’d like to build a comprehensive cancer center here in Collier County.”
Northwestern Medicine is home to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is designated by the National Cancer Institute as one of only 57 Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country and one of the first to receive a Merit Extension Award from NCI.
