Levine Cancer Institute Receives 16 Million Grant for Lung Cancer Program
CHARLOTTE, N.C.,
May 11, 2016 – Carolinas
HealthCare System’s
Levine Cancer Institute today announced that it has received a $1.6
million
grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, to support their
program, Lung B.A.S.E.S. 4 Life, an innovative model that will
feature a mobile unit for early identification of lung cancer coupled
with a comprehensive
education, navigation and clinical intervention program to support
better
outcomes for lung cancer patients.
Lung cancer is the
second most common cancer diagnosis, and the leading
cause of cancer death in the U.S. Access to optimal screening is
paramount to
early diagnosis, intervention and survival for those at high risk for
contracting the disease. Lack of transportation to medical facilities,
inability to secure the support resources necessary for adequate
preventive
care and poor understanding of risk factors that prevent thousands of
Americans
from receiving necessary cancer screenings.
By eliminating the barriers to care that prevent patients
from accessing
early diagnosis and life-saving treatment, Lung B.A.S.E.S. 4 Life will improve the quality of life and
enhance survivorship for lung cancer patients in the Carolinas.
The mobile unit,
developed by Samsung Neurologica, will have a portable,
full-body, 32-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner to deliver
high-quality
images of both soft tissue and bone through low-dose CT technology. The
vehicle
is expected to be completed by late 2016 and
will be piloted initially in Mecklenburg County with plans to
expand into rural areas where access to
care is limited. Lung
B.A.S.E.S. will provide lung cancer screenings, smoking cessation
education,
and navigation services to assist patients with any follow-up
intervention
needed.
“By eliminating the
barriers that prevent patients from having access to
potentially life-saving treatment, we feel strongly that the Lung B.A.S.E.S. program will improve
the quality of life, and increase overall survival, for lung cancer
patients
throughout the Carolinas,” said Mellisa Wheeler, Disparities &
Outreach
Manager at Levine Cancer Institute.
“We’re
excited to partner with Levine Cancer
Institute and Samsung NeuroLogica to support this demonstration project
and
look forward to learning more about providing lung cancer services to
hard-to-reach communities,” says John Damonti, president, Bristol-Myers
Squibb
Foundation. “The best practices developed through this model will
become the
template for other communities and regions to bring lung cancer
screening to
underserved populations and may ultimately improve health outcomes for
more
people.”
Levine
Cancer Institute has a long-standing commitment to increasing access to
high-quality care for all patients, regardless of where they live,
which is
demonstrated through implementing community-based programs in
underserved
communities. In addition to active screenings for breast, prostate and
colon
cancer, the Institute offers a robust navigation program that currently
serves
over 12,000 patients.
"We
are excited about our new partnership with Levine Cancer Institute and
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and the opportunity to build this
innovative
mobile platform that could change the face of lung cancer screening”,
said
David Webster, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung NeuroLogica. “We
have over
10 years of worldwide experience in developing and integrating portable
CT
systems into mobile emergency units. The lung cancer screening vehicle
is yet
another ground breaking application of our proven technology. The
benefits of
time reduction to diagnosis and early initiation of treatment
associated with
bringing the CT to the patient is game changing and will revolutionize
lung
cancer detection by bringing high quality CT imaging to the underserved
areas
of the Carolinas,”
About
Carolinas HealthCare System
Carolinas
HealthCare System (carolinashealthcare.org), one of the nation’s
leading and
most innovative healthcare organizations, provides a full spectrum of
healthcare and wellness programs throughout North and South Carolina.
Its
diverse network of care locations includes academic medical centers,
hospitals,
freestanding emergency departments, physician practices, surgical and
rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and
behavioral
health centers, as well as hospice and palliative care services.
Carolinas
HealthCare System works to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of
its
communities through high quality patient care, education and research
programs,
and numerous collaborative partnerships and initiatives.
About
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation
The
mission of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation is to help reduce
health disparities by strengthening community-based health care worker
capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive
services, and
mobilizing communities in the fight against disease.
For
more information about the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, please
visit www.bms.com/foundation
or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmsnews.
About
Samsung Neurologica
Samsung
NeuroLogica, the healthcare subsidiary of Samsung Electronics
Co., Ltd., develops, manufactures, and markets innovative imaging
technologies
and is committed to delivering fast, easy and accurate diagnostic
solutions to
healthcare providers. NeuroLogica, the global corporate headquarters
and
manufacturer of computed tomography, is also the U.S. headquarters for
sales,
marketing and distribution of all Samsung digital radiography and
ultrasound
systems. NeuroLogica’s growing portfolio of advanced medical
technologies are
used worldwide in leading healthcare institutions helping providers
enhance
patient care, improve patient satisfaction, and increase workflow efficiency. Samsung
is committed to being
leaders in the field of healthcare imaging. For more
information, please
visit www.SamsungNeuroLogica.com.