WILLMAR -- A preliminary report suggests that a joint venture by Rice Memorial Hospital and Affiliated Community Medical Centers to create a comprehensive cancer center could be financially viable -- and would benefit patient care.
The consultant's draft report was released Friday to the city-owned hospital's board of directors.
A recommendation on whether to go forward with the project could be presented to the board as early as July.
Hospital officials said it's too soon to know how the joint venture might be structured or how much it'll cost. The hospital's administrative team and the board also have lingering questions about some of the data.
"What is our market share currently? What is the potential for future growth? I think there's too many unanswered questions yet," said Lorry Massa, CEO of Rice Hospital.
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What's clear, however, is that the integration of local cancer services could optimize the care these patients receive and boost the development of a high-quality program.
"It's going to be better for patients. It's certainly more convenient," Massa said. "The question is can we make it work?"
The bulk of local cancer care is currently divided between Rice Hospital, where radiation therapy is given, and Affiliated, where outpatient chemotherapy is administered.
The report by ELM Services Inc. cited this fragmentation as a weakness of the existing program.
A program integrated at a single location could function as "one-stop" comprehensive care for cancer patients, the report said.
It would allow a wider range of services to be pulled in, such as nutrition, emotional support and patient education, and improve the ability to provide follow-up care. Being at a single location also could enhance communication among the specialists caring for cancer patients, according to the consultant.
The report recommends creating a new entity, owned 50-50 by the hospital and Affiliated. The preferred location is in Rice Hospital's west wing, where the radiation therapy service already is situated. This wing of the hospital is undergoing major renovation and about 12,000 square feet have been set aside as a possible future site for cancer care.
ELM's report urges increased marketing to raise the program's visibility and increase patient volume. It also recommends that the program align itself with a university or academic program and expand its participation in clinical research.
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Major fund-raising will be needed as well, the report said.
As officials at both the hospital and at Affiliated digest the multi-page report over the next few weeks, some significant issues will need to be addressed.
A major question is how the cancer center's physicians and staff should be employed and how the entity should be administered.
Legal and operational issues also must be addressed.
