Ochsner Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center have partnered to create the Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in southeast Louisiana. Medical director Dr. Brian Moore said this means cancer patients in the region will have access to cancer treatments that are among the most advanced in the country.
“Our goal is to deliver world-class cancer care close to home so that our patients can stay in their own beds and their lives are less disrupted during what is a really terrible time in many people’s lives,” said Moore.
Moore said the protocols of how Ochsner and MD Anderson treat cancer are the same and the hallmark is their multidisciplinary approach.
“The new patient with certain types of cancer and certain stages of cancer doesn’t just need to meet with a radiation doctor or a medical oncologist, but really they need to meet with the whole team,” said Moore.
The first phase of the partnership includes six facilities in the New Orleans area, Baton Rouge, and Covington. Moore said the immediate impact of the partnership is a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach and the wider availability of clinical trials for patients in Louisiana.
“The long-term impact, as we focus more on prevention, education, cancer screening, that’s where we stand as a health system is to really move the needle in cancer outcomes in our area because there is such a high burden,” said Moore.
MD Anderson in Houston is one of only 53 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute.
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