Philadelphia-based Fox Chase Cancer Center has converted its bone marrow transplant program into a department.
On July 1, the program became the Department of Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapies.
"With the emerging development of cellular therapy and the importance of its role in oncology, we felt it warranted a separate department," said Richard I. Fisher, MD, president and CEO of Fox Chase.
The program, known as the Fox Chase-Temple University Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Program, operated at Temple University Hospital-Jeanes Campus in Philadelphia. The newly created department will continue to operate at the same location.
Henry Chi Hang Fung, MD, will chair the new department. He was previously director of the bone marrow transplant program.
"This [move] is very positive because the institution has recognized that [the bone marrow transplant program] is one of the best clinical programs in the health system, and it has very big potential to continue to grow," said Dr. Fung.