Georgia Health Sciences University – Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center

• Lisa Hyde-Barrett

Background

The Georgia Health Sciences University Cancer Center provides a matrix approach to oncology by connecting superior patient care with an innovative research facility.  The Cancer Center is a partnership between Georgia Health Sciences University Cancer Research Center and GHSU Medical Center, the only dedicated outpatient cancer care center in the area.

The GHSU Cancer Research Center, opened in 2006, houses 35 GHSU research faculty and 175 associated personnel.  Research programs include: Cancer Immunology/Immunotherapy, Developmental Therapeutics, Molecular Oncology (Genomics, Epigenomics), and Cancer Prevention and Control.   The GHSU Medical Center is a brand new facility that began treating patients in January 2012.  The medical center is home to 15 of the nation’s top ranked doctors.

GHSU Cancer Center offers a multidisciplinary team approach to cancer care.  Patients at the GHSU Cancer Center meet personally with a specialized cancer team composed of medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, psychologists, and additional personnel to develop a “patient-driven” plan of care.  Each patient is assigned a nurse navigator who follows the patient throughout treatments and later visits. The multidisciplinary team approach encourages collaboration and teamwork amongst doctors and nurses to provide holistic care for every patient.

Cancer Treatments

Radiation oncology, surgical oncology, clinical trials, Gamma Knife surgery, palliative care, pathology, bone marrow transplant, stem cell transplants, and psychiatric care are all options at the GHSU Cancer Center.  The multidisciplinary team assigned to each patient works to deliver comprehensive holistic care.

Source: http://www.augusta.edu/