UT Southwestern brings comprehensive clinical cancer services to Tarrant and surrounding counties at new Fort Worth facility

DALLAS, May 4, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- UT Southwestern Medical Center's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center − the region's only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center − brings its world-class advances in clinical cancer care and research to residents in Tarrant and 10 surrounding counties through the dedication of its new satellite facility at the Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth.

UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Fort Worth, encompassing more than 22,500 square feet in the recently expanded Moncrief Cancer Institute, is specially designed to enhance the patient's experience with exam space, state-of-the-art imaging capabilities, onsite lab and pharmacy services, and 14 all-private infusion rooms for chemotherapy – a first for Fort Worth.

"The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Fort Worth reflects UT Southwestern's commitment to expanding access to health care by bringing the exceptional care of the region's only NCI-designated cancer center closer to home for those in Tarrant and surrounding counties," said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern. "The care being made available at these new facilities is important to achieving the best possible outcomes for patients, as well as extending UT Southwestern's research and education missions. We appreciate the extraordinary, longtime commitment of the Moncrief family to Fort Worth and this region, as well as UT Southwestern."

The Texas Cancer Registry estimates Tarrant County alone will see more than 7,200 new cases of cancer this year, with the top concerns being cancers of the breast, lung, and colon. Dedication ceremonies Monday included congratulations and comments from Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.

The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Fort Worth will provide secure telemedicine links directly to the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, allowing expert consultations and secured access to electronic medical records, as well as extending the reach of oncologists, surgeons, and bone marrow transplant specialists at UT Southwestern's William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and radiation oncologists at the W.A. Monty & Tex Moncrief Radiation Oncology Building.

"This exciting clinical commitment in Fort Worth is not only an important expansion to the services available at the Moncrief Cancer Institute, but also allows us to extend the full backing and advantage of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center to the important western portions of the North Texas region that we are dedicated to serving," said Dr. James K. Willson, Associate Dean of Oncology Programs, Director of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Professor of Internal Medicine, and holder of The Lisa K. Simmons Distinguished Chair in Comprehensive Oncology. "The evidence-based, research-backed approach to cancer of our NCI-designated center will be equally reflected in our commitment here."

UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of just 68 NCI-designated cancer centers in the nation. The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center includes 13 major cancer care programs with a focus on treating the whole individual with innovative treatments, while fostering groundbreaking research that has the potential to improve patient care and prevention of cancer worldwide.

Dr. Keith Argenbright, Director of UT Southwestern's Moncrief Cancer Institute and Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences and the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, said the clinical focus of the new services will be a valuable addition to the Institute's mission and the Fort Worth health care community.

"The community outreach, survivor care and counseling, and mobile mammography services that the Moncrief Cancer Institute historically provided have proven to be important components of improving access to quality health care throughout Tarrant County and adjoining communities. These new offerings represent an exciting evolution of that mission," he said.

The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Fort Worth, on the second floor of the Moncrief Cancer Institute, was specially designed to focus on the patient experience. Each of the 14 infusion rooms is private, in contrast to typical facilities having all patients receive their chemotherapy in one large room. As a result, patients will have control over the lighting and temperature of the room during their infusion sessions. They can enjoy a wide variety of online entertainment, and order delivery of meals online during their stay. Furniture selected specifically for comfort, soothing colors, and large windows complete the reassuring design of the rooms. A distinctive art gallery and sculpture garden offer peaceful areas for patients and their caregivers to rest and relax. Onsite lab draws and pharmacy services offer needed convenience.

"This facility is superb. Its design is patient-centric, and its technology will transform the way we deliver treatment and services," said Dr. John H. "Jay" Lohrey, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and with the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, who will serve as Medical Director for the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Fort Worth. "When I meet with a patient, our secure telemedicine links will enable us to videoconference with specialists at UT Southwestern who dedicate their careers to studying and treating exactly the type of cancer that my patient has in Fort Worth." 

Established in 1989 through a generous gift from Dallas philanthropist Harold C. Simmons, the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center offers 13 major clinical care programs. Being an NCI-designated cancer center is considered the "gold standard" that defines broad excellence in oncology. Such cancer centers are a major source of discovery of the nature of cancer and of the development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. They also deliver medical advances to patients, educate health care professionals and the public, and reach out to underserved populations.

The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is among only 30 U.S. cancer research centers to be named a National Clinical Trials Network Lead Academic Participating Site, a prestigious new designation by the NCI, and the only cancer center in North Texas to be so designated. The designation and associated funding is designed to bolster the cancer center's clinical cancer research for adults and to provide patients access to cancer research trials sponsored by the NCI, where promising new drugs often are tested.

Interested patients and survivors can arrange appointments and get more information by calling 1-866-460-4673 or 214-645-8300. The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Fort Worth at Moncrief Cancer Institute lies in the heart of the Fort Worth Medical District at 400 West Magnolia Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas, 76104.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution's faculty includes many distinguished members, including six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in 40 specialties to about 92,000 hospitalized patients and oversee approximately 2.1 million outpatient visits a year.

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SOURCE UT Southwestern Medical Center

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