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Health Care Here at Home
Health Care
Here at Home
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Written by Melanie Baillargeon
ALFOND’S LEGACY OF COLLABORATIVE CANCER CARE IN MAINE DELIVERS WORLDCLASS MEDICINE TO RURAL PATIENTS
MANY WOULD ASSERT THAT a combination of gumption and vision, mixed with wisdom and drive, can get you far in this world. Add collaboration and humility to it, and you end up with a network of cancer care known throughout the state, region, and nation for its excellence.
Through its capital and program grants, the Alfond Foundation has improved health care delivery and quality, promoted centers of excellence, and advanced education for Maine’s future health care professionals. Among these many initiatives, a few stand out as shining examples of Harold’s core principles of leadership, collaboration, teamwork, and community involvement: the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care and the Alfond Center for Health; the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network, a partnership of MaineHealth and MaineGeneral Health; and The Jackson Laboratory’s Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative.
DELIVERING WORLD-CLASS CANCER CARE FROM CENTRAL MAINE Harold Alfond understood on a personal level the need for world-class cancer care close to home. “I could have been treated anywhere in the world,” he said, following his own prostate cancer diagnosis, “but I wanted to be close by and
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES knew the care I would receive at MaineGeneral (formerly Thayer Hospital in Waterville) is comparable to anywhere else.”
The Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care (HACCC) opened its doors to its first patients in July 2007. The cancer care center that bears his name is a regional state-of-the-art facility that consolidated MaineGeneral’s comprehensive oncology care programs in central Maine into a single 59,000-square-foot, award-winning facility, equipped with the latest technology, and designed to offer multi-specialty treatment and care coordination.
From the concept to funding and everything in between, Harold was a man with connections who made things happen, often with a twinkle in his eye.
“I was chief operation officer at the time we were purchasing land for the cancer center,” says Chuck Hays, president and CEO of MaineGeneral Health and MaineGeneral Medical Center (MGMC), about the cancer center’s early days. “Harold would often inquire how things were going, so on this occasion, I was telling him about the land purchase negotiations. Of course, it turns out that the land owner was a good friend of Harold’s. It was no time at all before Harold was inviting him to dinner with us. The
gentleman walked in, saw us, and said to Harold, ‘This is going to cost me a lot of money!’”
Harold Alfond had initially donated $5 million to the construction of the cancer center, then donated another $2 million to the project as an incentive for early completion. Hays recalls a conversation with Harold about the late-July completion date of the project, summed up in one sentence: “Well, if it can be done at the beginning of July, I’ll donate another $2 million to the project.”
“Harold had originally talked to us about building the best cancer care center in the country, and we’re fortunate much of that has come to fruition,” Hays continues. The original design included care for 750 new cancer patients each year, and now the facility serves approximately 1,100 patients.
Long before they’d broken ground on the Alfond Center for Health in 2011, Harold had challenged central Maine’s health care leaders to consider building a regional hospital — a project he never saw realized, but one ultimately completed by his vision. Nearly six years after Harold’s death, the regional hospital opened its doors to patients in November 2013.
“Harold could have gone anywhere in the country or probably the world for his care, and he chose to go here because, in his words, ‘I think it’s the best!’” recalls Hays. “He was right! And all this comes from his inspiration. It’s just an amazing place.”
The Foundation’s $35 million investment in the regionalization of hospital
care has also transformed the Thayer Center for Health into the largest outpatient center in Maine. Together, the Alfond Center for Health in Augusta and the Thayer Center for Health in Waterville provide high-quality health care services close to home, improved care coordination, and the delivery of high-quality primary care and specialty care.
“He was visionary in so many ways, challenging us to do achieve so many firsts — regionalized cancer care and hospital services, a dedicated outpatient care site, to name a few,” Hays observes. “He really loved communities working together, and I think he was proud to help with the health care regionalization efforts. He was truly instrumental. He not only donated money, but he also encouraged the community to support projects with matching funds. I know he did this not only in health care but also in education, youth programs, and college savings funds.”
In real terms, Harold’s commitment to these projects afforded MaineGeneral to build a larger regional hospital to better serve patients, acquire the latest technologies, and train providers in the newest treatments. The cancer center was initially designed to limit the travel time a patient would spend between labs, treatments, and appointments. It’s improved clinical services and transformed care in the Kennebec Valley region. Just the ability to have private rooms has shown clinically that patients improve quicker.
Beyond the development of the physical facilities, Harold was also focused on the care and education of the clinical and medical staff. The Alfond Foundation invests in the education of Maine’s health care professionals through its support of the creation of the Center for Nursing Innovation at St. Joseph’s College. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, a $200,000 award from the Harold Alfond Foundation and the Bill and Joan Alfond Foundation in 2020 helped MaineGeneral cover the costs of child care for the health care system’s frontline workers and essential employees.
In 2007, Harold Alfond participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care.
The Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (MCGI) team at the their offices in MaineGeneral’s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care.
FINDING CANCER’S “ACHILLES’ HEEL” Maine has one of the highest incidences of cancer in the country, with approximately 9,000 new cases each year. The work of the Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (MCGI) — a nationally acclaimed model for personalized, precision cancer care in a rural setting — means that doctors can now employ more appropriate treatment and garner better outcomes for those patients. And it’s all happening right here in Maine!
In 2016, the Alfond Foundation provided an initial $8.4 million grant to launch MCGI, providing personalized cancer care at no cost to Maine residents with the most hard-to-treat cancers. It’s remarkable, cutting-edge technology only previously available at major cancer research hospitals in other states — and now it’s here in Maine.
Led by The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and located in MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care, the MCGI is a statewide collaboration of JAX scientists and community oncologists that brings innovative cancer genomic testing, education, and drug access infrastructure to Maine. Every oncology practice in the state is a partner in the program.
“In the beginning, we built a collaborative, statewide program that provided 1,600 patients with access to an emerging technology in cancer care — genomic tumor testing,” says Jens Rueter, M.D., an oncologist who serves as the chief medical officer for the Jackson Laboratory and the medical director of the MCGI. “You look at the genetic makeup of the tumor — its Achilles’ heel, if you will — with the goal of identifying the best possible treatment options and attack that.”
In layman’s terms, there are certain indicators that diagnose the type of cancer and determine the appropriate treatment protocols. However, imagine that treatment doesn’t work as it should. Then, a genetic analysis is performed on the cancer, discovering that a colon cancer that has spread may respond to a drug often used in lung cancer treatment. Well, that’s a game changer for patients and their families.
“We soon realized that we needed to go a step further and provide a more dedicated decision support program to help physicians utilize this genetic tool effectively,” Dr. Rueter continues. “So we built the Genomic Tumor Boards program in order to discuss the results of tumor testing with physicians and national experts to identify the next best treatment options using everything from traditional chemotherapy to clinical trials.”
Additional Alfond Foundation funding in 2020, totaling $11.8 million, provided for a second phase of the MCGI. As the National Institute for Health’s only NCI-designated basic science cancer center headquartered in Maine, JAX uses these grant investments to enhance patient access to treatments recommended by the patients’ genomic test results. This second phase also seeks to
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES Dan Filitis, MD, dermatologist and Mohs surgeon from MaineGeneral Medical Center, a member of the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network, performs a patient screening.
bring more clinical trials to Maine and to expand patient navigation services for those patients not eligible for Mainebased trials.
“We’re currently participating in the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) first clinical trial, the Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) study,” explains Rueter. “Patients who meet the criteria can be enrolled in the study to test a targeted drug treatment based on their tumor’s genomic profile. It’s really an innovative trial, and it’s designed to happen within the traditional workflow of the cancer care clinic. We’re trying to identify more trials like this to ultimately help more patients down the road and build the infrastructure to support that.”
In addition to exploring telehealth delivery models through reliable broadband connections, the MGCI is exploring methods to introduce more innovative virtual technology into health care. The project seeks to build a digital tool for clinicians to utilize the data collected through the past five years to pick the best therapies for their patients based on a specific genetic profile. A collaboration with another Alfond Foundation grant recipient, the Roux Institute, is exploring the use of artificial intelligence in this project.
“With the Alfond grants, we are able to provide individualized medicine on a broader scale,” Dr. Rueter summarizes. “By treating a specific tumor, we improve patients’ results, and ultimately quality of life, over many other treatment options. We are very focused on doing the best we possibly can in order to maximize the results and identify the accessible treatment options for patients throughout Maine.”
STAYING CLOSE AND REACHING FAR The MaineHealth Cancer Care Network (MHCCN) has been another game-changer in the fight against cancer in Maine. Through a generous five-year grant totaling $10 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation, the creation of this groundbreaking, multi-institution program facilitates personalized, state-of-the art care — turning more patients into survivors.
“Without a doubt, this grant has been impactful and transformational for cancer care in Maine, and especially for MaineHealth and the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network,” attests Scot C. Remick, MD, FACP, chief of oncology for the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network and Maine Medical Center (MMC), and professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. “It allowed us to accelerate patient care across our footprint in so many ways, build infrastructure, recruit physicians in key specialties, and it enabled us to compete nationally for a six-year, $5.1 million NCI grant to join the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) in August 2019. The MaineHealth NCORP was one of two new organizations to join this prestigious network.”
The MaineHealth Cancer Care Network — a partnership between MaineHealth and MaineGeneral Health — reduces the need for long-distance travel to receive cancer care. Through the coordination of 11 MaineHealth partner hospitals and organizations, the network provides care for 7,000 cancer patients a year — giving them the best of both worlds: access to the most advanced specialty services and clinical trials, and the ability to stay close to home during a difficult recovery.
“If I’ve learned anything in this venture, this is a team sport,” notes Rich Petersen, president of MaineHealth. “There are so many different disciplines involved — medical oncologists, social workers, lung surgeons, head/neck surgeons, navigators, other institutions and partners like JAX, and funding streams like the Alfond Foundation. The combined strength of our clinical, research, and financial partners means Mainers don’t have to leave their homes and go to Boston anymore. They can access the same high-quality cancer care right here.”
Alfond Foundation funds have provided significant investments in new treatment options, cutting-edge research, resources for information technology, survivorship programs, patient education, and new population health initiatives. It has brought new clinical expertise to Maine through the recruitment of physicians at MMC and MGMC in key specialty areas and a rotating oncologist to support multiple cancer practices along the Maine coast.
“We have been able to recruit and hire health care and professional staff to help with patient care, establish the navigator program and grow social work programs, and recruit physician and complex
specialty providers,” Dr. Remick explains. “We’ve also built a lot of electronic infrastructure pathways too. We can now offer our patients everything they need; that’s the true impact of this grant.”
Another tangible triumph is the expanded patient navigator program, which provides education, discuss treatment options, and help coordinate care. Having this resource during times of transitions is critically important in helping patients and families deal with the complexities of cancer care.
“Partnerships leverage resources, and they are critically important in a small state,” observes Petersen. “Whether it’s public or private entities or even competing organizations, cancer cuts through all that. At the crux of it all, the health of our communities is incredibly important to all of us.”
Through the partnership between The Harold Alfond Foundation and MaineHealth, the Cancer Care Network is maturing, gaining trust, fostering relationships between clinicians, and most importantly, bringing together top cancer specialists sharing their collective expertise to provide patients and families with the best care possible, right here in Maine.
“The impact of this project is palpable; it’s significantly more than the initial $10 million for sure,” Remick asserts. “And then you see what has grown and evolved from that — it’s had a remarkable multiplier effect, and in turn, generated additional funding from other grant sources.”
Nearly a decade ago, the NCI reengineered its clinical research model to include rural community locations to reflect where the bulk of cancer care happens. Maine now has four physicians nominated to serve on NCI steering committees and taskforces, shining a federal spotlight on Maine cancer care initiatives. The return on these public/ private investments in research and development provides a long-term tangible and transformational impact on Mainers.
CANCER DOESN’T WAIT. NEITHER SHOULD YOU.
Mainers are active, no matter what the season. That’s why, with the support of the Harold Alfond Foundation, we’ve built the largest cancer care network in the state.
Our network cares for you just as much as we care for the disease. We take every step possible to ensure your safety during screenings and preventative care. It’s one of the most effective ways to keep you on the right side of health.
mainehealth.org/cancer
THE CHALLENGE IN HIS LEGACY The legacy of Harold Alfond and the investments by the Alfond Foundation have given Mainers a source of hope, access to advanced treatments, and ultimately, improved health outcomes. Leading the nation in cancer care and cancer research — a tangible example of Maine’s state motto, Dirigo (I lead) — is exactly what Harold had challenged health care leaders to do. Turns out, his vision and wisdom has gotten Maine rather far indeed.
“He was just a great guy,” Hays affirms. “He had a lot of money, sure, but he cared about the community and cared about making things better by investing in the community. He didn’t have to, but thankfully for all of us, he understood the responsibility of his success and challenged us to become better in the process.”
