UCSF, John Muir launch California cancer care centre – GWC Mag

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Health, in collaboration with local hospital network John Muir Health, has opened a new cancer care centre in California, US.  

The new UCSF Health-John Muir Health Jean and Ken Hofmann Cancer Center is located at Behring Pavilion on the John Muir Health’s Walnut Creek Medical Center campus in California.  

The 155,000ft² centre is a key part of UCSF Health’s strategy to establish a health network across the East Bay Area, focusing on advanced cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.  

Through its association with UCSF Health, the centre will also allow patients to access various benefits of cancer care, including the expertise of top subspecialists and expanded clinical trial enrolment. 

According to UCSF Health, the facility aims to meet the growing need for specialised cancer services in the region, with over 135,000 Contra Costa County residents living with cancer and nearly 13,000 new diagnoses each year. 

The facility will provide radiation oncology treatments, clinical trials, outpatient infusions, genetic and nutrition counselling, an on-site pharmacy, clinical cancer research, nurse navigators, and survivorship programmes. 

In addition, the collaboration between UCSF Health and John Muir Health brings together a network of specialists to offer disease-specific treatments for different types of cancers, such as pancreatic, lung, breast, head and neck, haematologic malignancies, and sarcomas, as well as uterine and ovarian cancers.  

A multidisciplinary team, comprising specialists from both organisations, will be formed through joint tumour boards to devise comprehensive treatment plans tailored to individual patients. 

Patients at the new centre will also benefit from UCSF Health’s Quality/Communication/Access/Research/ Education (QCARE) programme, which will provide access to second opinions and clinical trials.  

UCSF Health Care Network president and UCSF Health senior vice-president Shelby Decosta said: “The new cancer centre is a huge milestone in our nearly decade-long collaboration to enhance access to care for East Bay communities with John Muir Health. 

“Our partnership with John Muir Health is built on the same value of trust that we know oncology patients and their families will rely on as they receive care from both of our organisations closer to home.”