Marshall Medical Center and UC

Marshall Medical Center and UC Davis Health Announce New Affiliation for Cancer Care in El Dorado County

World-Class Care Close to Home

by BILL ROMANELLI photography by CHARLENE TAYLOR/CHARM PHOTOGRAPHY and MARSHALL MEDICAL CENTER

he words “good news” and “cancer” rarely go hand in hand, so in those unique times when they do appear together, they merit attention. e good news for cancer patients and their families in El Dorado County is that the Marshall Medical Center is now an affi liate of the UC Davis Health Cancer Care Network, giving residents access to world-class care and cutting-edge clinical trials, right T here at home. “I am thrilled to have this important affi liation for cancer patients in El Dorado County,” says President and CEO of Marshall Medical Center Siri Nelson. “Being able to provide academic-level care right in Cameron Park will enable patients to get the best care possible. A cancer diagnosis is challenging enough for people, without the added burden of having to leave their own community for care.” e affi liation, which only involves the Marshall Cancer Center (the larger Marshall Medical Center will remain an independent, nonprofi t community hospital) was announced in January. It had been over a year in the making, with Marshall’s leaders looking for a way to elevate the level of services they could provide, and UC Davis Health was looking for ways to improve access to care in rural and remote areas. For patients, that means they and their doctors can now work directly with one of the top cancer centers in the nation.

Standing: Robert Stevenson, Director, UC Davis Health Cancer Care Network; Brian Goldsmith, M.D., Chief Medical O cer, Marshall Medical Center Seated: Kristen Mensonides, Executive Director of UC Davis Health Service Lines, Cancer Care Network & A liate Relationships; Brad Simmons, Chief Administrator, Operating O cer, UC Davis Health Hospital Division; Siri Nelson, President and CEO, Marshall Medical Center

“Our doctors will have access to UC Davis experts in sub-specialties we don’t have here,” says Marshall Medical Center’s Executive Director of Marketing and Community Relations Lourdes Edralin. “They can collaborate on creating and implementing treatment plans and, as part of the Cancer Care Network, help match qualifying patients with clinical trials.”

In recent years, the UC Davis Health’s Cancer Care Network has focused on increasing diversity in clinical trials by involving patients who live in “remote” areas. A lack of patient diversity has been a limitation of clinical trials, largely due to simple geography. Patients can’t or don’t want to drive for hours to get to a major cancer center.

“Patients also want to stay with the doctor they know and love,” says Ashley Tydon, the new Cancer Care Network Clinical Research director (as quoted in a press release). “With this new affiliation, they can continue to be seen by their community oncologist and still participate in an array of clinical trials that can give them access to novel therapies or new approaches to health care.”

The UC Davis Cancer Center currently has more than 200 clinical trials under way as it conducts a broad spectrum of Phase I, II, and III trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of newly developed drugs and treatments.

The new affiliation will officially be known as Marshall Cancer Center—A UC Davis Health Affiliate. Marshall’s Edralin emphasizes that Marshall Medical Center is not in any way being “taken over” by UC Davis Health—they are simply affiliating to share resources and bring the best and newest care and treatment options to the community.

The Marshall Cancer Center will remain in Cameron Park and serve patients throughout El

Dorado County. “

“We’re also looking for ways to increase our footprint beyond Cameron Park,” Edralin says. “We have a clinic in El Dorado Hills, and our leadership is looking for additional locations across the county.”

The affiliation between Marshall Cancer Center and UC Davis is now fully up and running after about a four-month phase-in process. For more information, visit marshallmedical.org.

Siri Nelson, President and CEO, Marshall Medical Center

Our doctors will have access to UC Davis experts in sub-specialties we don’t have here,” says Marshall Medical Center’s Executive Director of Marketing and Community Relations,

Lourdes Edralin. “They can collaborate on creating and implementing treatment plans and, as part of the Cancer Care Network, help match qualifying patients with clinical trials. “