Saint Francis announces affiliation with prominent Texas cancer center

Calling it a crowning achievement, Saint Francis Medical Center announced Tuesday that it has formed an alliance with the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, one of the nation's highest-rated cancer treatment and research facilities.

The new partnership -- one of six such partnerships with M.D. Anderson in the country -- will take effect in the spring and will mean that the Houston-based cancer center will make available its knowledge and methods for cancer diagnosis and treatment to area cancer patients.

"This is an exciting and major step we will be taking in the near future," president and CEO Steven C. Bjelich said Tuesday night at the hospital's annual dinner.

Bjelich said the partnership will provide evidence-based treatments, trials, protocols and some of the best cancer doctors in the country. The affiliation holds the promise of enhanced treatment and diagnostic capabilities for cancer patients in the region, he said.

More than 800 people attended the dinner at the Show Me Center celebrating what Bjelich called "powerful results" achieved during the year.

Over the past year, hospital expanded with the opening of the Registration Center, a facility that combines outpatient and pre-admission services, and the Family BirthPlace Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) expansion.

Bjelich also pointed out that the Medical Fitness Association rated their new health center, Fitness Plus, the No. 1 medical fitness center in the country open less than three years.

The Stroke Center obtained disease-specific certification for primary stroke treatment from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The hospital also received a medal of honor from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for achieving a 77 percent organ donation consent rate.

Saint Francis Foundation chairman Steve Taylor announced another successful year in annual giving. Contributions from The Friends of Saint Francis and the Saint Francis Auxiliary as well as private and public gifts and donations totaled nearly $2 million, a record.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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