HHC Cancer Institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center becomes nation’s 1st ‘Care Partner’ of Memorial Sloan Kettering

Contributed The Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport.

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The Hartford HealthCare (HHC) Cancer Institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport has been designated the nation’s first “care partner” of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), the healthcare system announced Thursday.

HHC said the designation was awarded after the Cancer Institute completed an extensive review process to ensure that all oncology care at the institute meets MSK’s standards of care.

Organizations that become MSK Care Partners commit to continually improving the quality of their oncology services based on the MSK standard of care. Recurring quality reviews support the adoption of the newest and most effective approaches to cancer care in their community based on scientific evidence, the organizations said.

The HHC Cancer Institute at 79 Retreat Ave. in Hartford was the first member of MSK’s Cancer Alliance, which was established 10 years ago, but the “care partner” designation applies only to the institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. A spokesperson for HHC said the rest of its cancer facilities are also undergoing the same review process in hopes of achieving the designation.

Hartford HealthCare provides cancer services at six hospitals in the state and at other standalone locations, including in Avon, Manchester, Plainville and Torrington.

It also is set to open a new, state-of-the-art cancer center at 4185 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield in April. The 25,000-square-foot facility will offer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, surgical consultations, imaging and laboratory testing on-site.

HHC also plans to create a new, dedicated cancer unit at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport that will provide comprehensive inpatient oncology care.

The collaboration with MSK “will provide easier access to the latest breakthroughs, clinical trials, and pioneering research that reaches patients earlier,” said Jeffrey Flaks, HHC president and CEO. “It’s about bringing hope to our patients by expanding access to the world’s best cancer care in Fairfield County.”