NL Health Services Joins Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network
Starting this fall, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services becomes the first provincial cancer program in Canada to join the Princess Margaret (PM) Cancer Care Network. This collaboration will provide enhanced expertise, and improved access to cancer care resources, education, and research for the benefit of patients of the Provincial Cancer Care Program and their caregivers.
“We are excited to join the Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network so that our staff and physicians have access to resources which will help them continue providing the best possible care to cancer patients in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Dr. Teri Stuckless, clinical chief, Provincial Cancer Care Program, NL Health Services. “By collaborating with Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, we will enhance access to expert consultation and advice, provide opportunities for education and research, and enable co-operation with national and global experts in the field of oncology.”
The partnership will facilitate easier access to resources that support complex cases or rare tumours; priority access and support for research; provision of patient, family, and caregiver resources in a variety of languages; and educational materials, resources, and courses for health-care providers, patients, families and caregivers.
“This partnership represents a commitment to delivering exceptional cancer care, not only within our centre but also across Canada,” says Dr. Keith Stewart, VP Cancer, UHN, and Director of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. “Together, we aspire to push the boundaries of cancer treatment, enhance patient and provider access to education, and elevate the quality of care for all those we serve.”
NL Health Services is the third partner organization to join the Network. The other members of the Network are Southlake Regional Health Centre (Newmarket, Ontario) and Grand River Hospital (Kitchener, Ontario).
“This is an opportunity to broaden the many already existing collaborations between the oncology teams in Newfoundland and Labrador and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre,” said Dr. Andrea Bezjak, a radiation oncologist and Medical Director of the PM Cancer Care Network.
NL Health Services’ Provincial Cancer Care Program is responsible for providing services to cancer patients throughout the province, including the operations of the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre in St. John’s and the regional cancer care centres in Corner Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor and Gander. The program provides chemotherapy, follow-up care and supportive services in several other sites across the province, as well, including tele-oncology services, which provides care to patients closer to home.
Dr. Teri Stuckless, Clinical Chief, Cancer Care Program, NL Health Services and Dr. Andrea Bezjak, Medical Director, Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network
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