A new partnership between Infirmary Cancer Care and the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center is making comprehensive cancer care available right here in Mobile.

This partnership was born to decrease the burden of travel for cancer patients, improving outcomes and expanding cancer scientific discovery through an increased footprint and resources of both organizations.

“This affiliation will ensure that cancer patients throughout our region will now have access to an even higher quality of care and cancer treatment including world-class cancer research and clinical,” said Infirmary Health President and CEO Mark Nix. “This affiliation will transform cancer care for patients across Southwest Alabama and the northern Gulf Coast.”

UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center holds the distinction of being Alabama’s sole cancer center designated as comprehensive by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), joining an exclusive group of just 55 such centers across the United States.

Infirmary Cancer Care’s five locations across Mobile and Baldwin Counties will be the first with access to an NCI-designated program in South Alabama and along the central Gulf Coast.

We have a common goal of making world-class cancer care available to the people of the State of Alabama,” said UAB Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella. “Partnering with Infirmary Cancer Care allows UAB the ability to extend our reach. It allows us to provide expertise to a broader patient population and to the patients and their family members, it allows them to remain in their home community in seeking quality health care.”

In a joint announcement, Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center pointed out how health care advances have greatly improved outcomes for cancer patients. “In 1990 when I was a resident, we would have never dreamed that metastatic melanoma would be a treatable disease, but here we are today with thousands of people walking around on the streets alive today who had metastatic melanoma and were treated with immunotherapy.”

He went on to say, “As cancer care advances, it challenges healthcare institutions to develop infrastructure and outreach that allow these medical advances to work and be used on all patients that require them.”

“This is all about patients. Having cancer is a battle itself, but then having to travel far away to get the best treatment that can be offered is an additional burden,” said Dr. Furhan Yunus, director of Infirmary Cancer Care. “I think the goal here has been for us to bring the best available treatment to our patients, give them the best chance that they can beat their cancer or live as long as possible on treatments.”

Patients will continue to receive care at Infirmary Cancer Care’s five locations in Mobile and Baldwin Counties but will now also have access to the expertise of cancer experts and multidisciplinary teams at UAB, opening the door for expanded treatment options, most notably clinical trials.

What this affiliation means for local patients:

• Existing patients will now have access to an expert team of physicians from both facilities.
• Most cancer treatment, except for some major procedures, can now take place at any of Infirmary Cancer Care’s facilities in Mobile, Fairhope, Bay Minette, Daphne and Saraland.
• Patients who do need to travel to UAB for major procedures will be able to receive follow up treatment at Infirmary Cancer Care.
• Physicians at Infirmary Cancer Care will follow the same high-quality treatment pathways and protocols utilized at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.
• Physicians and their patients will now have access to 200 clinical trials underway.
• The affiliation will enhance Infirmary Health’s existing cancer screening, prevention and education programs, which will ultimately increase early detection of cancer along the Gulf Coast.

How this affects economic development efforts:
This partnership is not only a healthcare achievement, but an economic driver. Quality health care is a key factor companies look at when determining where they open their doors.

“The Chamber is in the business of selling this area having something like this is a huge arrow in our quiver,” said Mobile Chamber President & CEO Bradley Byrne. “We can now tell companies that we’re trying to attract to this area that we have the highest level of cancer care that you can get anywhere in the world, here in Mobile.”

“We know now that through this strong partnership, our region is stronger, our colleagues can be stronger and our community can be stronger,” said Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance President & CEO Lee Lawson.

While collaborating closely, both organizations will continue to provide clinical services under their existing licenses and legal entities. There is no change in ownership as a result of this partnership.

Go Deeper: You can visit infirmarycancercare.org or call 251-435-CARE for more information.