Radiation Oncology

“Our partnership with Alliance has enhanced our mission as a multidisciplinary cancer team. This partnership has facilitated technologic advances that improved clinical care and outcomes for our patients.”

– Matt Koomey, MD
Medical Director, Jordan Hospital Club Cancer Center

The Situation

Due in part to equipment that needed to be upgraded and declining referrals, patient volume was relatively flat at Jordan Hospital’s Cancer Center. The population in Plymouth, Mass., and surrounding communities, however, was growing – a good sign that expansion was attainable.

In March 2009, Jordan Hospital called on Alliance to manage the radiation therapy department and implement some operational enhancements. During that time, Alliance identified opportunities to improve quality, upgrade Jordan Hospital’s electronic medical records and physics tools, and make the department more efficient and customer-friendly.

Pleased with those early results, Jordan Hospital formed a long-term partnership with Alliance to continue the improvements.

The Solution

Alliance upgraded Jordan Hospital’s linear accelerator, added CT technology, introduced a new treatment planning system, and began a low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy prostate seed program. These changes brought the Cancer Center’s technology in line with its competitors.

Alliance provided operations management, ongoing physics and dosimetry staffing, dedicated field marketing professionals, community relations, IT support, and service contracts for all equipment.

Alliance worked closely with Jordan Hospital to recruit new radiation oncologists and other staff to complement the hospital’s existing team. The remainder of Alliance’s capital investment was spent on modernizing the look of the facility, improving its flow and making it more accessible to patients.

The Results

Jordan Hospital’s new radiation oncologists are now on staff, the upgraded equipment was installed, and the marketing campaigns to consumers and referring physicians were implemented.

Many installations and change-overs occurred on nights and weekends to ensure that treatments would continue without interruption. Extra support staff helped fast-track the projects. As a result, Jordan Hospital experienced no disruption to patient care.

Jordan Hospital’s consults increased from 342 in 2009 to 426 in 2010. Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) was introduced in 2009 and was used for 2,914 treatments in 2010. In addition, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) utilization increased from 1,150 treatments in 2009 to 3,787 treatments in 2010.

The Cancer Center performed 30 treatments per day, on average, in 2009. After the technology upgrades were completed in the first quarter of 2010, average daily treatments increased to 33 by the end of the fourth quarter. Ten patients have been treated using the new LDR brachytherapy prostate seed program, and urology referrals increased from 9 in 2009 to 50 in 2010.

Key Statistics

Modalities:

• Varian linear accelerator with on-board imaging and cone beam capability
• Philips large-bore CT
• Philips Pinnacle treatment planning system
• LDR brachytherapy prostate seed program

Staffing:

• 1 full-time site manager
• 1 full-time physicist
• 1 full-time dosimetrist
• 1 part-time account executive (marketing support)

Space:
6,736 square feet