The MediSys Health Network is proud to announce the partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center has recently been formalized. This collaboration officially enables the network to provide much-needed, local oncology services to the people of Queens at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
Memorial Sloan Kettering was founded in 1884, and today is a world leader in patient care, research, and educational programs. They deliver personalized treatment and are led by a team of renowned doctors, specialists, and scientists. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with MSK to deliver the highest quality cancer care to our community. Their reputation as a leader in oncology services is well-deserved, and as a result of this collaboration our patients will no longer need to leave the borough to receive world-class care,” stated Bruce Flanz, President and CEO of the MediSys Health Network.
Queens is the most culturally diverse county in the United States and many of the over one million people we serve in this area face many significant healthcare barriers. One of which is the lack of cancer care services. Currently, there are no comprehensive cancer care centers in the borough. Through the development of this partnership, the MediSys Health Network and Memorial Sloan Kettering hope to address this need and improve the health and well-being of those who need it most.
The foundation of the MediSys cancer care program has already been established. Dr. Rosa Nouvini, oncologist at MSK has been named Site Director for Cancer Services at Jamaica Hospital and is currently seeing patients weekly at a specially designated clinic on campus. In addition, Dr. David G. Pfister, Chief, Head and Neck Oncology Service and Associate Deputy Physician-in-Chief, Strategic Partnerships will be serving as the Chief of Oncology at Jamaica Hospital. Dr. Pfister and Dr. Nouvini will be joined by a team of oncology physicians who will be receiving training in all MSK protocols and have access to their clinical trials.
Other short-term network goals are to establish separate lung and prostate cancer screening programs with a long-term goal of building a comprehensive cancer center on the Jamaica Hospital campus where the majority of the treatment can be provided locally, with the ability to transfer some cases to our partners at MSK.
Dr. Sabiha Raoof, Chief Medical Officer and Chair of Radiology for the MediSys Health Network added, “We at MediSys are very excited about our collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering. Cancer care is a significant unmet need in our community. MSK will help bring world-class oncology expertise to our patients. In combination with our long-standing experience in addressing socioeconomic determinants of health, I believe our partnership will be highly synergistic and will reduce the heavy burden of cancer in Queens.”