41-45 Guest Editorial: The Academic Difference

publication date: Dec. 11, 2015

The Academic Difference

By George J. Weiner

Academic cancer centers have a major and unique role to play in enhancing cancer research, clinical care and education. This role will increase in value as our understanding of the complexity of cancer grows and is applied to care of patients.

Academic cancer centers leverage synergies among these various missions, with the result being a positive impact on patient health and the economy at the local, regional and national levels. Accelerating progress in cancer medicine is dependent on the success of academic cancer centers and development of new models of collaboration between academic cancer centers and community oncology.

To ensure academic cancer centers are able to thrive well into the future, we need to do a better job of explaining their unique role to the broad range of constituents, including patients, payers, policy makers, university leadership, community oncology partners and the general public.

As part of the first phase of its Academic Difference Initiative, the Association of American Cancer Institutes is gathering and organizing evidence that demonstrates the value of academic cancer centers. Some of this evidence is based on analysis of the value of specific projects at individual academic cancer centers, while other evidence points more to a national impact of academic cancer centers as a whole.

The second phase of the effort will involve disseminating the gathered information. Information collected through this initiative will be provided to individual cancer centers to enhance local support for their efforts. At the national level, this information will be used to advocate for … Continue reading 41-45 Guest Editorial: The Academic Difference

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