Geisinger Health System (GHS) is a fully integrated health system that serves a region in north central and northeastern Pennsylvania that spans 33 counties with 2.6 million residents. There is a long history of clinical trials and cancer research at GHS with our organization becoming a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) site in 1983 and then being selected as an NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) site in 2010. With this NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) application, Geisinger Cancer Institute Oncology Research Program merges both program structures to create an integrated research team structure which will both properly support the national clinical trials research agenda and provide a strong foundation for emerging cancer care delivery research (CCDR) studies.
The specific aims of the Geisinger application for participation in NCORP are: (1) To provide an optimal portfolio of clinical trials and cancer care delivery research in the Geisinger service area. With NCORP/NCTN trials as the cornerstone of the portfolio, we will work in partnership with NCORP participants, NCI Oncology Groups and research bases to activate, recruit subjects and complete trial requirements to advance cancer care and patient outcomes. (2) To serve rural and medically underserved patient populations as close to home and as convenient as possible by providing clinical trials through new community sites in the Geisinger NCORP and build lasting relationships with programs and leaders in communities with ethnically diverse minority populations. (3) To develop a continually improving infrastructure and seamless environment for conducting clinical trials and CCDR studies. We will draw upon Geisinger Health System's employed physician network, its integrated structure and advanced information technology capabilities to institute new practices, systems and policies to create best practices' which can be shared with other NCORP sites. (4) To leverage Geisinger's expertise and experience in the areas of population health, health care value and re-engineering of cancer care in actively contributing to the network and Research Base development of the NCORP emerging CCDR agendas.
This application for participation in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program allows professionals at Geisinger Cancer Institute to contribute in the design and conduct of the lastest cancer studies. It will enhance the access for patients in north central and northeast Pennsylvania to advance treatments options, closer to home.
