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the patient because they are getting the expert opinion from Roswell Park cancer specialists. A head and neck radiation oncologist is only treating head and neck cancers, so their expertise is greater," Dr. Mathew says. Once Dr. Martinez and Dr. Mathew have reported the patient's ca se to t heir respective boa rds, t he com mit tee members w i l l g ive t hem feedback a nd g uide them on the best path forward. " We have close contact with the specialists in Buffalo. Cancer care is continuing care. There are bound to be bumps in the road, so that close relationship is important. Our colleagues in Buffalo are always available to consult with us when a ny issues a rise," says Dr. Martinez. Oneida Health has implemented a local tumor board in Oneida who ser ves as an extension of the multi-disciplinary board in Buffa lo. This board involves Dr. Martinez and Dr. Mathew as well a s O n e i d a s u r ge on s , r a d i olo g i s t s , pathologists, and primary care physicians. The purpose of an Oneida-based tumor board is to elevate the level of care being provided at the local level. FOCUS ON QUALITY R os wel l Pa rk i s a n i nt er n at ion a l ly r e c o g n i z e d b r a n d k n o w n f o r c ompr ehen sive c a nc er c a r e . T her e a re mu lt iple mecha n ism s bu i lt i nto the relationship bet ween Buffa lo a nd O neid a t o en s u re c ont i nu it y of t he qu a l it y of ca re a s soci at ed w it h t he Roswel l bra nd, no mat ter where it is delivered. Dr. Martinez and Dr. Mathew follow Roswell Pa rk clinica l pathways, o r p r e f e r r e d t r e a t m e n t f o r e a c h particular kind of cancer, bringing that in-depth ca ncer-specif ic ex perience to patients in Oneida . These clinica l pat hways ca n be rev iewed remotely by R os wel l Pa rk wh ich en su res t he doctors a re fol low ing best practices. The review process provides continuous oppor tunities for improvement. "It is the Roswel l sta nda rd of ca re that we adopt here in Oneida," says Dr. Mathew, "The physics team from Roswell's main ca mpus reviews a ll our radiation pla ns to ma ke sure the qua lit y checks a re in place before the patient gets treatment. They do week ly checks wh ich is t he s t a n d a r d f or a l l R o s w e l l p a t i e n t s whether in Buffa lo or Oneida ." KEEPING CARE LOCAL Oneida Health is known for providing award-winning patient safety and patient ex perience to the communities they serve. "We strive to give state-of-the-art medicine in a community setting," says Dr. Martinez. The goal is to continue that small community touch, no matter how much they grow, with a focus on keeping patients local. "Modern cancer care is intricate and well-orchestrated in that a patient may need chemotherapy, radiation therapy, specia lized imaging, biopsy, molecular pathology, surgery or genetic screening. If these disciplines don't reside under the same roof, it can take a long time to develop a treatment plan. When a patient makes their way through the doors at Oneida Health Medical Oncology, they have access to all of that without leaving the campus," says Dr. Schwaab. INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY The exper t medica l opinions you get from Roswell Pa rk a re coupled with Oneida Health's significant investment i n t e ch nolog y. Usi n g a n on sit e CT simulator, the Radiation Oncology team uses advanced imaging techniques and software to deliver precise dosages while taking every measure to minimize the exposure to healthy tissue. In some cases, Dr. Mathew can also take advantage of other imaging modalities including a new PET/CT and 3 Tesla MRI to fuse images for more invasive tumors. Radiation therapists use a TrueBeam linear accelerator to generate and deliver precise t a rgeted t reat ment to t reat cancer. "We are using the most modern equipment available in the region," says Dr. Mathew. PERSONAL INTERACTION WITH STAFF Personal interaction with the oncolog y sta ff is a big pa r t of patient ca re a nd ensuring positive outcomes. "Ca ncer is a life-cha ng ing diag nosis. The life of a ca ncer pat ient i s f rau g ht w it h difficulties, so it is impor ta nt to have a personal touch. It makes this disease less dehuma nizing. If they ca n touch someone, tel l t hei r stor ies, a nd a sk t h e i r q u e s t i on s , t h a t m a k e s t h e i r experience much less diff icult," says Dr. Ma r tinez. " W hen you a re getting r a d i a t i o n t r e a t m e n t , y o u r e q u i r e Sterile Compounding is completed by specialty- trained pharmacists and technicians on site at the William L. Griffin Medical Oncology Center. Providing future opportunities for clinical trials to be delivered in Oneida. 0 8