As part of a $260 million investment, Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health has entered a 10-year partnership with Siemens Healthineers affiliate Varian to advance oncology services in the health system.
Ballad Health and Varian will create a "highly integrated digital network … that accelerates and enhances the patient journey from screening to survivorship," according to a Sept. 24 news release from the health system.
New software and equipment, including eight linear accelerators and one adaptive radiotherapy system, will be installed at six of the health system's cancer centers in Tennessee and Virginia. The new technologies use AI to help oncologists customize treatment plans for each patient.
The new equipment will also be integrated into Varian's cloud-based oncology management platform, connecting care teams across the health system to streamline workflows and data access, the release said.