Page 12 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_May-2016

At the Hospitals
n Levine Cancer Institute Announces
New Outpatient Center, Expansion
of Services
Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine
Cancer Institute (LCI) will undergo a significant
expansion, including a second outpatient
center, renovations to the existing research
and administration headquarters, and related
renovations to Carolinas Medical Center. The
new and expanded facilities will allow for further
development of several cancer treatment areas,
including heightened research efforts around
novel treatments, as well as improvements to
existing survivorship, palliative and rehabilitation
programs that will support patients and their
families throughout their care journey.
The new $150-million investment will include
the construction of a seven-floor 260,000-square-
foot advanced outpatient center adjacent to the
LCI’s research and administration headquarters.
This will expand hematologic, thoracic and
gastrointestinal oncology practices available in the could allow them to treat a wider range of
region. It also will expand hematologic oncology,
infusion capacity and specialty pharmacy
capabilities, and will continue to grow its
survivorship programs, fully integrated palliative
services, rehabilitation and telemedicine services.
In addition to the new building, enhancements
will include the brachytherapy and urological
programs. A portion of the funding also will be
used to create a 32-bed advanced clinical unit in
Carolinas Medical Center capable of treating all
advanced cancer patients to support the Institute’s
blood and marrow transplant unit, which has
surpassed expectations since its opening in
January 2014.
The Institute’s continued growth has been
significant in recent years, with additional
clinical space at Carolinas HealthCare System
Anson; Carolinas HealthCare System Union;
Carolinas HealthCare System Pineville;
Carolinas HealthCare System Northeast;
Carolinas HealthCare System Stanly; Levine
Cancer Institute-Rock Hill, S.C.; Levine Cancer
Institute-Carolina Lakes; a new Phase I clinical
trials unit at Roper Hospital in Charleston, S.C.;
and expansion into Cleveland and Columbus
counties. Levine Cancer Institute currently has
25 sites within the System’s geographic footprint.
12 | May 2016 • Mecklenburg Medicine
LCI is a leading voice supporting the fact
that access to world-class care, clinical trials
and innovative research is foundational to
transforming cancer care in this country.
n Levine Cancer Institute Launches
Breakthrough Clinical Trial
Levine Cancer Institute will be one of only
four centers nationwide enrolling patients in a
first-of-its-kind clinical trial, with implications
that could shape the future of cancer diagnosis
and treatment.
In June 2015, the TAPUR (Targeted Agent
and Profiling Utilization Registry) study was
announced at the annual meeting of theAmerican
Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) as the first
clinical trial to be sponsored by the organization. connect you with the facility or with crisis
The study will give patients with various forms
of advanced-stage cancer access to an increased
number of molecularly-targeted drugs, while
providing oncologists with new knowledge that
patients more effectively and precisely.
Recent studies have demonstrated the value
of tailoring treatment to a patient’s tumor,
rather than just the cancer site. Due to varying
gene expressions that make certain patients
resistant to the current standards of care, such
as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, one of the
goals of the TAPUR study will be to determine
how subsets of cancer patients respond to targeted
therapies that attack specific genetic mutations…
and why.
TAPUR will include a broader patient
population than most clinical trials. Any
advanced solid tumor, multiple myeloma, or
B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient who
is no longer benefitting from other treatments,
is eligible to participate. Along with Levine
Cancer Institute, other participating sites
include the Michigan Cancer Research
Consortium, the Cancer Research Consortium
of West Michigan and the University of
Michigan. Levine Cancer Institute has been
significantly involved in other relevant trials,
testing targeted therapies, and recently opened
a biospecimen repository for the collection of
sample tissue.
n Outpatient Behavioral Health
Center Moves from Dilworth to
Ballantyne
Behavioral Health Center-Horizons
Outpatient Services, a Carolinas HealthCare
System facility treating patients with substance
use disorders, has moved to a new location.
The center offers outpatient treatment and
medication-assisted treatment for patients with
primary substance use disorders, including
addiction to alcohol, opiates and stimulants.
The Dilworth center, 1816 Lyndhurst Ave.
in Charlotte, is closed. The Ballantyne center,
7825 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Suite 110, in
Charlotte, began accepting patients on April 13.
To receive additional information about
these services, to request an appointment
or to make a referral, call the Behavioral
Health Help Line at 704-444-2400 or 800-
418-2065.
If you call after 5 p.m., a counselor will
services, as needed. If admitted, the facility
will ask your patient to sign a release form,
so the facility can keep you updated on your
patient’s care.
n Region’s First Clinically Integrated
Network Opens
In February, Carolinas HealthCare System
launched the Charlotte region’s first clinically
integrated network (CIN). This collaborative
network is designed to deliver high-quality,
cost-effective health care and enhance the
health of residents in the community by
developing best practices to reduce the overall
cost of care, manage chronic illnesses and
create seamless transitions of care between
primary care, specialty, hospital settings and
outpatient services.
Over the past year, Carolinas HealthCare
System has hosted design and development
work with physicians in the community to
help determine aspects of the CIN that would
benefit the Charlotte area. A broad cross-
section of physician leaders spent more than
700 hours in planning and development.
The CIN will be a physician-led
organization in collaboration with Carolinas
HealthCare System, with leadership from
both system and independent physicians.
The CIN will use a data-driven approach to
sharing best practices across the network
that will allow members to reduce gaps
in care, lower total healthcare costs
and improve the health of patients and
communities served by the network. Patients
will be able to receive coordinated care
from a network of expert providers who are
committed to high-quality care that leads to
improved outcomes.