DuPage Medical, Rush plan new cancer center in Lisle
DuPage Medical Group and Rush University Medical Center have announced a partnership to bring university-level cancer care to DuPage County and the Western suburbs.
The agreement includes development of a state-of-the-art cancer center as part of a broader affiliation encompassing patient care, research and educational programs and electronic health information systems.
“This is a true partnership that will provide cancer patients with greater access to comprehensive clinical services and research protocols,” said Dr. Larry Goodman, chief executive officer of Rush.
“Creating this alignment between our organizations will enhance the quality of clinical care while providing new learning and research opportunities for our physicians and staff to serve our community better,” said Mike Kasper, chief executive officer of DuPage Medical Group.
The cancer center will be housed in a new medical office building being built by DuPage Medical Group near the intersection of Interstate 88 and Interstate 355 in Lisle, The target date for the center to open is December 2012.
DuPage Medical Group is an independent physician group practice comprised of more than 333 physicians who care for roughly 375,000 patients at 45 offices.
Rush is a not-for-profit academic medical center comprising Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Oak Park Hospital and Rush Health. Rush has a medical staff of about 890 with about 35,000 patient admissions a year.
The medical group has begun construction of the office building at 430 Warrenville Road in Lisle. The three-story, 95,000-square-foot building is designed with two wings. One will be dedicated to the outpatient diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The other will be a medical office building comprised of primary care, specialty and advanced diagnostic services.
The cancer center will offer patients an individualized focus along with the latest in technology and treatment options. Its patient-centered design will better accommodate the multiple care providers who meet to collaborate as a team to discuss a patient’s condition, review diagnostic tests and plan treatment as a group. A key member of this team, the patient navigator, will provide support and guidance for patients at every step — diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
This model of care, shared by Rush and DuPage Medical Group, is implemented at the Rush University cancer center, an outpatient facility opened in January at Rush as part of its campus transformation project.
The first floor of the cancer center wing will house a cancer resource center and radiation therapy services. The second floor will house a chemotherapy infusion center. Rush will lease 13,000 square feet on this floor and will have sole management and fiscal responsibility for its operation. The infusion center will be organized and function as a Rush outpatient location. Rush already operates chemotherapy infusion centers at its main campus in Chicago and at Rush Oak Park Hospital. Rush will be the exclusive operator of chemotherapy services within DuPage Medical Group.
The third floor of the cancer wing will be used for comprehensive cancer clinics staffed by both group and Rush physicians. Rush will provide specialty services in the areas of hematology, lung cancer, melanoma, thoracic surgery, gynecologic oncology and brain tumors. These will complement the group’s current service offerings.
Rush and DMG intend to develop educational and research linkages through Rush University. These will likely include continuing medical education for DMG providers, faculty appointments for qualified DMG physicians and nurses, and recruitment of primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses and other graduates from Rush’s medical school, nursing college, or the health sciences programs into DMG.
Rush and DuPage Medical Group use information technology systems for their electronic health record and business operations. Rush and DMG intend to share clinical data for patients treated by both organizations. Additional health information technology initiatives may involve remote patient scheduling and telemedicine for consultative services.