On Jan. 31, UF Health and Orlando Health officially began a new partnership program that will establish the UF Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health.
The partnership is in response to the rising cancer rate in Florida, as evidenced by recent studies by the National Cancer Institute, which say that Florida has the second-largest cancer burden in the country.
“A need of this magnitude requires an innovative strategy for meeting this growing demand for cancer treatment and care,” said Orlando Health Board Chair Dianna Morgan in a release. “By connecting some of the nation’s most experienced cancer doctors and leading cancer researchers, we can collaborate to provide the best possible care and the most favorable treatment outcomes for cancer patients.”
The new partnership will be run by Dr. Mark Roh, current president of MD Anderson-Orlando, and be characterized by Orlando patients having ongoing relationships with their doctors and access to more cutting-edge drugs and technologies. It will also offer services at community Medical facilities closer to patients’ homes.
Dr. Phillips Charities has committed $1.5 million toward personalized cancer care, one of the center’s first new initiatives, which looks for specific treatments for patients by examining the genetic makeup of tumors.
