Roswell Park, Oneida Health Make Quality Radiation Care Available in Oneida

New Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center is part of the Roswell Park Care Network

6,000-sq.-ft. center features modern exam rooms, CT scanner, linear accelerator
Center joins affiliated medical oncology center that opened in June 2018
Patients have access to quality of care directed by Roswell Park clinicians

ONEIDA, N.Y. — Leaving Central New York for quality cancer care is now a thing of the past. Today, leadership from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Oneida Health announced the grand opening of the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center on Oneida’s campus. This is the next step in expanding the reach of the Roswell Park Care Network, which launched in May.

Our shared vision with Oneida Health offers patients state-of-the-art equipment and clinical and technical expertise that only a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center such as Roswell Park can provide. Under the Roswell Park Care Network, it means access to chemotherapy infusion, clinical trials, genetic counseling, supportive care and educational services. Adding radiation oncology to this slate of services expands convenient access to comprehensive cancer care for residents of Central New York.

The completed radiation oncology center features four exam rooms, a consultation room, a CT scanner, a Truebeam linear accelerator for radiation therapy and required support facilities, with clinical and quality management provided by Roswell Park radiation oncologist Shilpa Vyas, MD, as well as a Roswell Park medical dosimetrist and medical physicists. Dr. Vyas and her team will follow the same quality standards patients can expect at Roswell Park, including evidence-based and peer-reviewed radiation treatment plans, availability of all treatment options and adherence to guidelines that carefully control radiation doses to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Every patient’s radiation treatment plan will be reviewed by a team of radiation oncologists at Roswell Park. In addition, all staff based in Oneida will be trained on Roswell Park standards. This translates to exceptional National Cancer Institute-level cancer care for residents of Central New York.

The center joins an established medical oncology center operated jointly by Roswell Park and Oneida Health on Oneida’s campus under the medical direction of Mohamed el-Naghy, MD, PhD. Oneida Health is also currently in the process of expanding its outpatient Alice M. Gorman Imaging Center to further meet the needs of its cancer patients.

“Our growing collaboration means patients are going to receive tailor-made care that our patients in Buffalo receive, but right in their backyard. They won’t have to travel far to know that they are being treated following the same care standards of a comprehensive cancer center. We are grateful to have a quality partner like Oneida Health that allows us to expand the reach of our evidence-based radiation medicine care delivery to the Oneida region,” said Candace S. Johnson, PhD, President and CEO of Roswell Park.

“Today marks another important step in Oneida Health and Roswell Park’s collaborative effort to provide a high quality of cancer care services to the residents of Central New York,” said Gene Morreale, President and CEO of Oneida Health. “With the addition of radiation oncology we will now be able to provide patients with more comprehensive treatment options, close to home. Patients will benefit from state-of-the-art diagnosis, local access to NCI cancer care guidelines, and the latest treatment options from a comprehensive cancer center ranked among the top 3% in the nation.

In 2016, Oneida Healthcare was awarded a grant from the New York State Department of Health for $6.75 million to expand oncology services to CNY in partnership with Roswell Park. That important state investment has been further supported by regional donors who have contributed over $2.3 million to the project over the past two years, including a $1 million gift from the Dorothy G. Griffin Charitable Foundation.

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About Roswell Park
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@roswellpark.org.

About Oneida Healthcare
Oneida Healthcare serves an area comprised of approximately 29 communities in Madison and western Oneida counties with a population of approximately 100,000. Operated by Oneida Health Systems, Inc, a New York State not-for-profit corporation, the organization includes a 101-bed acute care hospital, emergency department, state of the art surgery center, 160-bed extended-care and short-term rehab facility, primary care offices, internal medicine, comprehensive lab services, home medical equipment, comprehensive imaging services, outpatient therapy, and care specialties in: oncology, neurology, podiatry, vascular, sleep, OB/GYN, orthopedics, and ENT. To learn more about Oneida Healthcare, visit www.oneidahealthcare.org.