The Ozarks Regional CCOP has been a collaborative endeavor between St. John's Regional Health Center and the Lester E. Cox Medical Centers since the first funding grant on August 15, 1987. Retention of key personnel (i.e. principal investigator and research nurse coordinator) have been very beneficial in maintaining continuity with administrative responsibility returning to St. John's Regional Health Center/ Mid-America Cancer Center (MACC). The MACC mission is to promote, on a regional basis, the reduction of morbidity and mortality resulting from cancer related diseases through education, prevention, detection, research, treatment and supportive services. The Ozarks Regional CCOP has demonstrated success in forming local alliances, integrating, networking and forming multidisciplinary teams. These teams support patients from initial screening and diagnosis staging to tertiary level therapies. Providing access to appropriate specialists and state of the art comprehensive cancer care is the direct result of the NCI grant awards. This continuation grant is necessary to further the progress of placing cancer patients from our community into NCI clinical research protocols. Grant continuation will allow expansion of clinical research using these committed multidisciplinary professional groups in the Ozarks region under NCI approved clinical treatment and cancer protocols. The purpose of which is to facilitate the development of the most effective treatment course for cancer therapy and cancer control. The Ozarks CCOP is instrumental in dissemination of the knowledge and technology made available through this national effort to physicians in Springfield and outlying communities. Research design and methods are provided by the NCI. Quality assurance activities reinforce the NCI standards. Since it's inception in August 1987 the Ozarks Regional CCOP has contributed to the national effort to collect valid data-regarding cancer therapies by placing 539 patients on NCI approved protocols. Continued funding is essential for this region to maintain community participation in cancer control research including prevention, early detection and patient management utilizing NCI standards. See Appendix A for documentation of tax exemption status for grant awardee.
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