Avita Health System and Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center Establish Affiliation for Cancer Care

Tuesday, March 6, 2018, Cleveland: Avita Health System and Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center have launched a formal affiliation to expand access to oncology services and highly specialized treatments for patients in North Central Ohio.

Under the affiliation, Cleveland Clinic cancer specialists will work onsite in Avita’s Galion and Bucyrus Hospital clinics, in addition to its Mansfield location. Through this collaboration, patients will receive direct, close-to-home access to Cleveland Clinic’s cancer expertise. Patients who live in Crawford and surrounding counties can now schedule appointments with Cleveland Clinic cancer experts in Galion and Bucyrus, reducing travel time and enhancing local health services.

“The collaboration with Cleveland Clinic allows us to better serve our patients by offering greater access to top-ranked cancer specialists,” explains Jerry Morasko, CEO of Avita Health System. “We are always looking for new ways to heighten the patient experience in our communities by providing expert care, close to home. For us, affiliating with Cleveland Clinic is a natural fit.”

Cancer specialists at Avita and Cleveland Clinic will consult and collaborate on patient treatment plans for all types of cancers, including those that are rare and complex. Avita cancer patients’ cases can be reviewed by Cleveland Clinic’s tumor boards, a team of doctors and other health care providers who meet regularly to discuss and share knowledge, and Cleveland Clinic will offer support to Avita as it implements care pathways.

About Avita Health System

About Cleveland Clinic

“Our research has shown that access, or getting cancer patients into treatment without delay, is associated with better outcomes,” said Brian Bolwell, M.D., chairman of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute. “This new affiliation with Avita will allow us to expand access to cancer services and specialized treatments for more cancer patients in Ohio.”Avita Health System is a nonprofit, patient-centered health care system in North Central Ohio. It was established in 2011 as the parent company of Bucyrus and Galion Hospitals. In 2017, Avita opened its third hospital, located in Ontario, and now has over 40 clinics in Crawford, Richland, and Marion counties with more than 120 medical providers and 1,800 employees. Avita’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of those it serves and is dedicated to providing an extraordinary patient experience that consistently ranks above most regional and nation health systems. Unique to the area, Avita is an independent, locally-governed health care system with a board of directors that live in the communities where health services are provided. As a nonprofit health care system, Avita values charitable giving by providing over twice the amount of uncompensated care to patients needing financial assistance in comparison to other national and state health systems. For more information on Avita Health System services and providers, visit our website at avitahealth.org. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/AvitaHealthSystem. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/avitahealths.Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 52,000 employees are more than 3,600 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 14,000 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic’s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 10 regional hospitals, more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations — including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers – and locations in Weston, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2017, there were 7.6 million outpatient visits, 229,000 hospital admissions and 207,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

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