The Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) is recognizing Munson Healthcare, Cowell Family Cancer Center (CFCC) with the Innovator Award for pioneering achievements in improving access, quality, and value in cancer care delivery.
Cowell Family Cancer Center will accept the award during the 2024 ACCC National Oncology Conference in October, where they will be honored for implementation of a Bispecific T-Cell Engager Therapy Program.
Bispecific therapy activates the immune system to recognize, target, and attack cancer cells, reducing harm to surrounding tissue compared to traditional chemotherapy. This is currently FDA-approved for multiple myeloma, several types of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and select solid tumors with more currently in clinical trials.
“My goal as a medical provider is to ensure our communities have access to the care they need,” said Dr. Zachary Hector-Word, Clinical Oncologist, Cowell Family Cancer Center. “There has been a greater demand for this therapy over the past several years, and by offering this care close to home, patients are less likely to defer treatment.”
Patients undergoing bispecific therapy experience fewer side effects than other non-targeted therapies, but the cost and travel time (five hours or more) served as a barrier for many patients across the region due to the need for weekly or biweekly treatment. This new care model designed by CFCC’s pharmacy staff, medical oncologists, and oncology nurses not only helps remove this barrier for patients in Northern Michigan but serves as a care model that can be applied by other rural communities across the nation.
Among six cancer care centers nationwide to receive the 2024 Innovator Award, CFCC’s comprehensive bispecific antibody program has built a road map for communities of similar size across the country and includes:
- Policy development and toxicity management
- Creation of patient and staff education documents
- Creation of clinical tools and an electronic order set to organize different treatment options for physicians
- Implementing monitoring system to safely transition patients from inpatient to outpatient care
“The process for a patient beginning bispecific therapy requires a lot of care coordination and it took significant communication and collaboration to make this program a reality for our patients,” said Courtney Van Houzen, Clinical Pharmacist, Cowell Family Cancer Center Infusion Pharmacy. “We are so excited about the impact this will have on our patients in Northern Michigan but its potential to work in other smaller communities as well.”
Development and implementation of the bispecific therapy program is one of many efforts being made as part of Munson Healthcare’s Regional Care Transformation Plan announced last September. Moving forward, CFCC is leveraging fixed PET scanner technology and pursuing new forms of robotic surgery to bring additional therapies to the region.
“This work and these investments truly align with our objective to elevate the level of specialty care available to our entire region,” said Kathy LaRaia, Munson Healthcare Vice President of Oncology and Support Services. “We are proud to be recognized by the ACCC as an innovation leader and our team’s commitment to our patients every day.”