Gulf Coast Medical Center Joins UAB Cancer Care Network
August 19, 2011
Panama City, FL – Gulf Coast Medical Center has joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Care Network as one of five affiliates in the network to expand access to leading cancer care.
The UAB Cancer Care Network, with affiliates in Alabama, Georgia, and now in Florida, provides a program to support community-based oncology services, by offering broader access to clinical trials, continuing medical education for nurses and oncologists, and access to the latest education about advancements in the treatment and detection of cancer in the local community.
“Providing care for cancer patients is truly a collaborative effort,” explains Gulf Coast Medical Center President and CEO Brian Baumgardner. “We are truly honored to join the UAB Cancer Care Network. Our physicians and patients are excited about the opportunity to have easier access to cancer treatment and research.”
Gulf Coast Medical Center is a 176-bed acute care hospital and is a member of the Hospital Corporation of America family of hospitals. It is also a recipient of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award.
The hospital opened in 1977 as the result of a dream of a group of local physicians who wanted to improve the quality of care for patients in Bay and surrounding counties. Today, the hospital has the highest quality scores of any area hospital according to www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
“We have been very intentional the past two years in providing our patients and physicians measurable results in our goal of improving the quality of care. Our new relationship with the UAB Cancer Care Network is another step in giving our community another reason to choose Gulf Coast Medical Center for their medical care,” states Baumgardner.
“We look forward to working with Gulf Coast Medical Center to leverage each other’s strengths and offer access to leading-edge care and research to Bay County and surrounding communities,” says Dr. Edward Partridge, director of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and president of the American Cancer Society Inc. “UAB’s 350 cancer scientists and clinicians are making discoveries every day, and with the UAB Cancer Care Network, we will collaborate with cancer care providers across the region to increase access to those discoveries, ultimately saving more lives.”
As Alabama’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center, and the only one in a six-state region, the UAB Cancer Center will work closely with each affiliate to support their cancer center program’s growth by providing access to UAB’s best practices in cancer care, expanded access to leading-edge clinical trials and support services, physician and nursing education, and access to research expertise and resources at a local level.
Gulf Coast Medical Center is one of five UAB Cancer Care Network affiliates. Other affiliates include: Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, Ga., Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan, Ala., Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center in Anniston, Ala., and Russell Medical Center in Alexander City, Ala. The UAB Cancer Care Network anticipates announcing additional affiliates later this year.
About the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is among the 40 cancer centers in the nation to meet the stringent criteria for the National Cancer Institute's comprehensive designation. The center is a leader in groundbreaking research, reducing cancer disparities and leading-edge patient care.