Desert cancer services to expand after Eisenhower & UC San Diego Health affiliation
Residents in the Coachella Valley will have more cancer services available to them, thanks to a new partnership between Eisenhower Medical Center and UC San Diego.
Beginning later this month, Eisenhower patients will have enhanced access to cancer care, both at Eisenhower’s Lucy Curci Cancer Center and at UC San Diego Health.
The two organizations signed a five-year affiliation agreement Thursday. The collaboration will bring over services provided at UCSD’s Moores Cancer Center, which patients would previously have to travel outside of the desert to receive.
The collaboration, effective this month, will also include UC San Diego Health experts providing monthly blood and marrow transplant clinics, genetic counseling and more.
“Some of the things we will be bringing to the desert are clinical trials which are the latest in cancer treatment,” said G. Aubrey Serfling, President and CEO of Eisenhower Medical Center. “Some university faculty will be coming out here and holding clinics and we are also going to try and see if we can facilitate and make it easier for people in the desert to go over to the University if it is something that we can’t do here that has to be done at the university.”
The partnership marks one of only 49 national cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation and one of only five in Southern California.
“By joining efforts with Eisenhower Health, we can reach more people in Southern California so they too can benefit from the subspecialty expertise and access to immunotherapy as well as genomic and personalized medicine,” UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent said.
