Butler Health System (BHS) and UPMC CancerCenter have formed a joint venture agreement for radiation oncology that will allow patients in the Butler region access to one of the nation’s most advanced cancer treatment networks without leaving their community.
Under the agreement, Butler Health System and UPMC CancerCenter have acquired Butler Radiation Oncology Associates, and two radiation oncologists from the practice, Victor Onufrey, M.D., and Hung-Chi Ho, M.D., who are employed by Butler. These physicians and their patients will have access to UPMC experts, clinical trials, clinical pathways and the expertise of the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“We are excited about this collaborative relationship with Butler Health System because it will result in wider access to cancer care and patients will benefit from this improved access,” said Dwight E. Heron, M.D., vice chairman for Clinical Affairs and director of Radiation Services, UPMC CancerCenter.
In January, UPMC CancerCenter received accreditation by the American College of Radiation Oncology, making it the largest comprehensive cancer network in the country to be accredited in radiation oncology.
Butler Memorial Hospital’s cancer program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Care in Western Pennsylvania. This new collaboration with UPMC CancerCenter, partner with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, further strengthens the Butler Health System oncology program.
“Our goal at Butler Health System is to assure that the community has access to expert care, close to home. The partnership between UPMC CancerCenter and BHS is an excellent example of how collaborative partners make this happen,” said Ken DeFurio, Butler’s president and chief executive officer. “The combined expertise of specialists at BHS and at UPMC will result in local cancer care delivery that is second to none.”
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
