Newton-Wellesley hospital expands partnership with Mass General Cancer Center, renames Cancer Center

NEWTON-WELLESLEY HOSPITAL EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP
WITH MASS GENERAL CANCER CENTER, RENAMES CANCER CENTER

NEWTON, Mass. (January 24, 2019)—Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH) has recently expanded its partnership with the Mass General Cancer Center (MGCC) to provide NWH patients access to the entire team of MGCC experts including specialists and subspecialists, the latest research and the most advanced technology, and medical, radiation, and surgical oncology services. Over the years, MGCC specialists have seen patients at NWH and this partnership builds on that longstanding relationship. To reflect this deepening partnership with the MGCC, NWH has renamed its cancer center the Mass General Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley.

“Newton-Wellesley Hospital has a deep commitment to providing expert, compassionate cancer care to the communities we serve,” said NWH President Dr. Michael R. Jaff.  “This unique relationship creates a virtual corridor between our two organizations, giving patients direct access to the Mass General Cancer Center in Boston if ever needed.”

Through the support of donors and NWH surgeon Dr. James Vernon and his wife Joan, who passed away from cancer in 2005, NWH opened the Vernon Cancer Center in 2009. Dr. Vernon’s dedication and guidance were instrumental to the center’s success, and his support of the center’s evolution to meet the health care needs of community residents continues today. To honor Joan and Dr. Vernon, and all our dedicated cancer donors, for their enduring dedication to patient care, the hospital will name its cancer care facility the Joan and James Vernon Cancer Care Pavilion.

“I am so deeply appreciative of Dr. Vernon’s commitment to NWH and to our patients, and for his continued role in evolving the exceptional cancer care we provide to those living in our community,” said Dr. Jaff. “The legacy of Dr. Vernon and his beloved wife Joan will live on for generations to come.”

The newly-named Mass General Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley will build upon a rich tradition, as the MGCC Radiation Oncology Department has provided services at NWH for several years.  This group will continue to provide patients seamless access to experts, all of whom will be MGCC clinicians, state of the art equipment, clinical trials, and advanced medical therapies. A multi-disciplinary care team comprised of nurse navigators, oncologists, specialists and sub-specialists, oncology nurses, social workers, nutritionists, hematologists and others, will collaborate to provide exceptional care.

“By growing the expertise of the Mass General Cancer Center and integrating it further into our community setting, we’re continuing to provide outstanding care, as well as expanded specialized resources, for our patients,” said Lawrence Blaszkowsky, MD, Medical Director, Mass General Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley. “We understand that receiving a new diagnosis of cancer can be very stressful and we are devoted to easing the process every step of the way.”

In addition to medical, radiation and surgical oncology, the MGCC at Newton-Wellesley will continue to provide a variety of supportive care services that help patients with emotional and spiritual needs during treatment, including:

• Physiatrist services
• Specialized support groups
• Mind, body and relaxation services
• Chaplain services
• Nutritional support
• Pain management
• Behavioral medicine
• Psychiatric oncology
• Pappas PACT (Parenting at a Challenging Time) program
• Scalp cooling
• Palliative care
• Survivorship program

“The opening of the Mass General Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley is a big step forward for cancer care in the community. We have worked with our colleagues at NWH for years, including operating our Mass General Radiation Oncology program at NWH, and we are thrilled to be evolving our long-standing partnership formalizing our working relationship,” said David P. Ryan, MD, Clinical Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center; Chief, Hematology/Oncology, MGH.

“Over the coming year, more and more of our Mass General Cancer Center treatment programs will be offered at Newton-Wellesley, with greater collaboration between our institutions and easier access for our patients to the latest therapies. Our shared and ultimate goal is to provide each and every patient the best chance for the best outcome.”

About Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Newton-Wellesley Hospital is a full system member of Partners HealthCare System, Inc. (PHCS), a nonprofit organization that includes acute care hospitals Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals, and The North Shore Medical Center. For more information about the Mass General Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley, contact us at www.massgeneral.org/cancercenteratnwh.
 

About the Mass General Cancer Center

An integral part of one of the world’s most distinguished academic medical centers, the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center is among the leading cancer care providers in the United States.

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the Mass General Cancer Center as one of the top cancer centers in the country. Its nurses were the first in Massachusetts to achieve Magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in recognition of the hospital's exceptional nursing care.

Known for providing customized, innovative treatments and compassionate care to both adults and children, the Cancer Center comprises more than 25 fully integrated, multidisciplinary clinical programs and a vast array of support and educational services. Its network of affiliations extends throughout New England and the southeastern U.S.

The Cancer Center’s commitment to eradicating cancer is fueled by scientific investigation conducted as part of one of the largest hospital-based research programs in the nation. Through a powerful synergy between laboratory scientists and bedside physicians, the Mass General Cancer Center fosters innovation in all phases of cancer research. Physician investigators conduct nearly 400 clinical trials annually.

The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center is proud to be a founding member of a Harvard Medical School consortium designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center. This prestigious seven-member center forms the largest cancer research collaboration in the country. The promising new treatments developed through this partnership are revolutionizing the future of cancer medicine.