MDNews - Greater Kansas

WHEN R ADIATION ONCOLOGIST CL AUDIA PEREZ¡TAMAYO, MD, FACR, FACRO, CAME TO K ANSA S IN 1989, SHE SAW AN OPPORTUNIT Y TO BRING THE L ATEST IN CANCER TRE ATMENT ¤ SUCH A S HER WORK IN INTENSIT Y¡MODUL ATED R ADIATION THER APY ¤ TO UNDERSERVED ARE A S. BY AMY GEISZLERJONES DR. PEREZ"TAMAYO SET up a practice in Salina, and in the years since, Central Care Cancer Center has grown to include full-time specialty cancer locations across Kansas in Colby, Dodge City, Emporia, Garden City, Great Bend, Liberal, Newton and Wichita, with satellite branches in Scott City, Goodland and Arkansas City. Central Care also has a location in Bolivar, Missouri. MD News: Your business model has been to establish practices in mid- to small- sized communities, particularly in rural Kansas communities. Why has that been an important? Dr. Perez-Tamayo: I lived in Chicago for a large part of my life, including when I went to medical school at the University of Illinois, and I would see so many people with cancer who had to travel to a larger city for medical care. It becomes a hardship financially, emotionally and psychologi- cally. I wanted to decrease those stress factors and achieve better curative results for our patients. Cancer treatments can be lengthy, and receiving care away from home takes patients away from their family support system. Many people can't aord to be gone from their businesses, their work and their fami- lies for such long times. They still want to be integrated with their communities and their families and continue activities. When we compare our outcomes to those of other providers, in several ways we have three to four times better results. I think that's because of this model. Our physicians and medical staff are members of the communities they serve, which is important. Patients have access to care quickly and can build relationships with their care providers. Our patients also have access to clinical trials, just as they would at larger medical centers. MD News: Besides making it easier for patients to access care near their homes, your practice also helps patients find financial resources. Please tell us more about the financial counseling benefit that Central Care Cancer Center provides and what that means for your patients. Dr. Perez-Tamayo: At each of our loca- tions, financial counselors visit with every single patient to help them understand their insurance plans, coverage and billing. They will also find programs and grants to help patients with a financial need. In 2016, we helped patients find more than $12 million in assistance. In 2017, patients received over $18 million in financial help. We also work with pharmaceutical companies to be able to provide treatments at no cost for the patient. MD News: Share some ways in which you've had success in providing top-of-the-line patient care. Dr. Perez-Tamayo: Our outcomes in treating lung, gynecological and certain breast cancers have been very successful, in part because of advanced imaging capabili- ties that we have. For example, our breast cancer rates for stage 1 with lumpectomy is 100 percent controlled with no occurrence. Wit h ou r PET si mu lat ion imaging system, we can fuse real-time imaging capabilities with treatment planning, which allows us to be more focused on the cancer sites and is less toxic for the patient. F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , please visit cccancer.com. To refer patients to a Central Care Cancer Center location, please call 800-592-5110. ■ Dr. Claudia Perez -Tamayo discusses treatment with a patient and verifies setup of the innovative TrueBeam STX system, which offers advanced, noninvasive, bloodless radiosurgery to patients. Advances in technology translate to higher cure rates, more convenience, and brighter futures for many patients. Dr. Jose Velasco gives a heartfelt hug to a patient. Central Care believes that being connected to patients and understanding their needs plays a vital role in the ultimate treatment results. In fact, the word "Care" is literally their middle name. Focuses on Accessibility Central Care Cancer Center Dr. Claudia Perez- Tamayo and Radiation Oncology Manager Bryan Kruleski view information about a patient at a console while reviewing parameters of a treatment plan. Oncology care involves a team to ensure seamless navigation throughout all phases of diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. 0 8❱❱❱❱❱ O N C O L O G Y

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