Bozeman Deaconess Hospital enters into affiliation agreement with SCCA Network

Bozeman Deaconess Hospital in Bozeman, Montana, has joined the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) Network to become the ninth Northwest community healthcare facility to enter into an affiliation agreement with the SCCA. The SCCA Network provides a structured program for supporting community-based oncology services to advance the level of care, including making leading-edge clinical trials available to local patients and offering continuing medical education to local health care providers.

Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center recently earned a three-year full accreditation with commendation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer in December 2009. "The Cancer Center's accreditation rating was 1 out of 5—the highest rating available," said Bill Pfingsten, vice president, Bozeman Deaconess Health Group and Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center. "Our affiliation with the SCCA Network enhances our ability to provide quality cancer care to people in Southwest Montana."

According to Jack Hensold, M.D., an oncologist/hematologist at Bozeman Deaconess, the affiliation with SCCA will enhance patient access to new therapies by partnering with physicians at SCCA to offer additional clinical trials. For patients who require highly specialized care that requires referral to a tertiary center, coordination of care between physicians at SCCA and Bozeman Deaconess will be enhanced. Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center staff, as well as the entire medical community in Bozeman will benefit from the educational opportunities that will be provided by the affiliation.

"We welcome Bozeman Deaconess to the SCCA Network and look forward to a productive affiliation that will benefit its cancer patients, physicians and staff," said Norm Hubbard, SCCA executive vice president.

The cancer program at Bozeman Deaconess currently serves 1,845 active patients and 600 new patients annually. Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center offers comprehensive care cancer care in a peaceful, healing environment that houses state-of-the-art treatment systems. The multidisciplinary team includes medical oncology/hematology and radiation oncology physicians, a nurse practitioner and physician assistant, oncology certified nurses and radiation therapists, a physicist, pharmacist, clinical laboratory technician, oncology social worker, breast care coordinator and a financial case manager.

Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center physicians hold weekly conferences, collaborating with surgeons, radiologists and pathologists to plan and coordinate patient care. Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center partners with the Cancer Support Community (previously known as The Wellness Community) and has recently opened an American Cancer Society-sponsored Resource Center to provide support services for cancer patients.

The other members of the SCCA Network are Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Bellevue; Cascade Cancer Center, Kirkland; Clinic Cancer Care, Great Falls, Montana; Multicare Regional Cancer Center, Tacoma; Olympic Medical Center, Port Angeles; Providence Alaska Medical Center, Anchorage; Skagit Valley Hospital, Mount Vernon; and Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, Wenatchee.