WellSpan Health and Johns Hopkins Medicine announce new oncology collaboration across South Central Pennsylvania

York, Nov. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WellSpan Health and Johns Hopkins Medicine today announced plans to fight cancer together in South Central Pennsylvania. The comprehensive collaboration will combine the expertise of WellSpan cancer physicians and programs with the innovative clinical, research and educational capabilities of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

WellSpan patients across South Central Pennsylvania who have cancer will benefit from a collaborative approach between the two organizations through shared treatment protocols, improved genomics capabilities, research projects and access to Johns Hopkins Medicine’s expanded network of subspecialty physicians. All of these services will broaden the options close to home for life-saving care of patients with complex cancers.  

“Fighting cancer requires a trusted partner, and at WellSpan Health, we are expanding on our collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine to deliver the very best for our patients,” says Roxanna Gapstur, Ph.D., R.N., president & chief executive officer, WellSpan Health. “Our combined teams of physicians, faculty and research scientists will work closely with patients to offer the latest treatments and leading-edge therapeutic options within a state-of-the-art program for our friends and neighbors in South Central Pennsylvania.”

WellSpan Health and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have had a long-standing clinical and research collaboration since 2017, with a designated comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.  

“This relationship represents our shared approach to bringing the best care to patients in the South Central Pennsylvania region, and we are so proud to expand the collaboration to include clinical trials, peer-to-peer consultations and educational opportunities,” says Kevin W. Sowers, M.S.N., R.N., F.A.A.N., president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

WellSpan’s cancer experts see nearly 4,000 new patients annually across all their cancer centers, including the newly expanded WellSpan York Cancer Center, which opened this past summer. The collaboration agreement with Johns Hopkins Medicine will extend to and benefit all of WellSpan’s cancer centers, including the WellSpan Adams Cancer Center, the WellSpan Ephrata Cancer Center, the WellSpan Sechler Family Cancer Center and WellSpan cancer care locations in Franklin County.

To learn more about the collaboration between WellSpan Health and Johns Hopkins Medicine, visit wellspan.org/cancer.