North Kansas City Hospital and The University of Kansas Hospital Join Forces For a Cancer Program in the Northland

Two of Kansas City’s most successful hospitals will collaborate on a comprehensive cancer program at North Kansas City Hospital effective July 1, 2013.

North Kansas City Hospital and The University of Kansas Cancer Center, a combination of The University of Kansas Hospital clinical care and the research and education of the University of Kansas Medical Center, have come together to create a new cancer program at North Kansas City Hospital at I-35 and Armour Rd. Both radiation oncology and medical oncology will be part of the new partnership and facility renovations are underway at the Medical Plaza building, 2750 Clay Edwards Drive, on the North Kansas City Hospital campus.

“This is about providing the best care for our patients,” said North Kansas City Hospital President and CEO Peggy Schmitt. “It’s a way to expand our existing cancer program with a program that shares our focus on the quality of patient care. This collaborative effort brings together the high quality of North Kansas City Hospital with the clinical cancer program attached to the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated program in our region.” Schmitt said the partnership gives North Kansas City Hospital patients access to NCI clinical trials.

The University of Kansas Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Page said, “The agreement gives our hospital a chance to work with a partner hospital with a commitment to quality similar to our own. We have learned collaboration won’t work unless both sides share a patient focus. This agreement is about caring for the patients in North Kansas City and throughout the Northland.”

The new partnership will operate the radiation oncology program. The University of Kansas Hospital and Cancer Center will provide physician staffing

Physicians from The University of Kansas Cancer Center will provide medical oncology clinic services starting in Fall 2013 in space adjoining the radiation oncology services to maximize the multidisciplinary approach to cancer diagnosis and treatment.

As part of this program, new patients seeking radiation oncology services at North Kansas City Hospital beginning July 1 will see radiation oncologist Mark Thompson, MD, with The University of Kansas Cancer Center. During facility renovations, Dr. Thompson will see patients at both the North Kansas City Hospital location and the Green Hills location at Highway 152 and Green Hills Rd.

About North Kansas City Hospital: For over 55 years, North Kansas City Hospital has been at the forefront of providing medical care in the Northland. The Hospital is an acute-care facility with 451-licensed beds with specialties in cardiac care, oncology, women’s health, orthopedics and emergency services. They provide a full continuum of care from the highest level of neonatal intensive care to award-winning cardiovascular and orthopedic programs to home health and hospice. The medical staff includes over 550 physicians representing 49 medical specialties. North Kansas City Hospital is the first hospital in Missouri and one of only a few hospitals in the country to receive the Mission: Lifeline Heart Attack Receiving Center accreditation from the American Heart Association. In addition, the Hospital is an accredited Level III Chest Pain Center by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, a major trauma center for emergency care and rated as one of the busiest adult/pediatric emergency departments in Kansas City. For more information, contact North Kansas City Hospital at 2800 Clay Edwards Dr., North Kansas City, MO 64116, on the web at nkch.org, at 816-691-2000 or follow the Hospital on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute designated center, is transforming cancer research and clinical care by linking an innovative approach to drug discovery, delivery, and development to nationally recognized patient care program. The partnership includes cancer research and healthcare professionals associated with the University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, and the members of the Midwest Cancer Alliance Partners Advisory Board and Clinical Trials Network. For more information on The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s research and outreach programs, please visit http://kucancercenter.org or call 1-800-332-6048.