Scarborough, Maine-based New England Cancer Specialists and Boston-based Tufts Medical Center are launching a clinical affiliation that aims to expand patients' access to advanced cancer care, clinical trials and survivorship resources in New England.
NECS is the largest provider of cancer services in Maine, with nearly 45,000 patient visits in 2015 between its locations in Scarborough, Brunswick and Kennebunk. Through the affiliation with Tufts, which has a history of specialization in complex and innovative care treatments, Tufts Medical Center will be NECS' preferred academic medical center when patients require complex treatments, such as bone marrow transplants, second opinions or access to clinical trials.
- Tufts and NECS have outlined a series of goals and priorities for the clinical affiliation. Together, they will:
- Expand survivorship care services for adolescent and adult cancer survivors
- Promote an oncology medical home to measure and deliver the highest possible quality cancer care
- Collaborate on virtual tumor boards where patient cases are studied by a group of highly experienced cancer experts across the care continuum
- Partner on precision medicine and the application of immunotherapy specifically targeted to individual patients and to enhance the immune system