Miquel Aymerich, Gwen McCauley and Stefan Walczak. These are some of the people courageously battling cancer who have recently benefited from care at Sutter Health. Teams across the integrated system’s clinical oncology service line are known to puts patients first so they can get and stay well.
Now Sutter’s high-quality cancer care has been publicly recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review. This month Becker’s named the nation’s top 2024 top hospitals and health systems with great oncology programs, including Sutter Health. Becker’s criteria included access to leading-edge clinical trials and research, as well as stringent safety protocols.
“Oncologists, oncology nurses and care teams demonstrate daily their unwavering commitment to delivering specialized care to individuals with cancer. We are deeply grateful for their expertise, compassion and devotion to our patients,” says Sutter Service Lines Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Hao.
Enhancing Access Across Sutter’s Footprint
Sutter’s goal to house both clinical and support programs in the same building so patients can easily access everything they need in one place. To increase access to care, Sutter recently:
- Welcomed Sansum Clinic and its Ridley-Tree Cancer Center into its healthcare system, enhancing access to high-quality care on California’s Central Coast
- Purchased five GenesisCare radiation oncology centers to keep high-quality cancer services rooted in California’s Central Coast, Central Valley and Silicon Valley
- Announced a $380 million investment to expand specialized cancer services at Sutter Memorial Medical Center in Modesto
- Proposed development of a new Sutter Health Ambulatory Care Complex in Folsom, including an infusion center and cancer radiation services
Leading Advancements in Care through Innovation
In addition to providing treatment, these centers offer clinical trials to improve access to new breakthroughs and increase the odds of survival. As research sponsors studies supported by organizations like the National Cancer Institute, cancer centers also help make discoveries today that will improve cancer care for future patients.
As cancer care rapidly evolves, Sutter offers patients cutting-edge treatments and technologies, including:
- CAR-T cell therapy and other new immunotherapies
- GammaTile® therapy
- Robotic techniques like Assisted Single Anesthetic Procedure
- Targeted radiation therapy with LINAC. Sutter houses the most advanced radiation oncology suite on the U.S. West Coast.
- Volpara Health software that aides early screening for breast cancer
Looking toward the Future of Care through Education
By offering residents and fellows nationally renowned graduate medical education programs that deliver cutting-edge expertise, we’re helping them stay abreast of emerging best practices for unparalleled cancer care. Sutter’s training programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
High-Quality Care Foundational to Sutter’s Longstanding Programs
Sutter’s cancer programs have exceeded national benchmarks for safety and quality, in part because the health system continually monitors its outcomes. Through Programs of Oncology Distinction, experts on an individual tumor type (e.g., breast, lung, etc.) or hematologic malignancy (e.g., leukemia, lymphoma, etc.) are convened to identify best practices and drive improvement.
Sutter cancer centers have also earned Center of Excellence accreditation by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative.
Specialists help patients with all cancer types navigate the entire journey of cancer, from preventive medicine through palliative care and survivorship. Medical staff includes oncology specialists in the fields of melanoma, robotic surgery and robotic bronchoscopy programs, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation and interventional radiology.
Sutter’s oncology program comprises 19 cancer centers and more than 150 Phase 1-4, industry and NCI-sponsored clinical trials of novel, investigational treatments.
