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NCI in the Community
Tom and Vickie Rodabaugh

"I chose to participate in a clinical trial because it was a way to get involved in cutting-edge research."
Cancer survivor Tom Rodabaugh and his wife Vickie Rodabaugh, NCCCP St. Francis Cancer Center, Grand Island, Nebraska See more photos 

Improving Access. Advancing Care. Expanding Research... In the Community
Local communities benefit from having a cancer center that is affiliated with the National Cancer institute. Like the larger, mainly university-based NCI-designated cancer centers, the NCCCP community hospitals are working to improve patient access to cutting-edge cancer therapies. Their patient-care teams of physicians, nurses, radiologists and other professionals engage in scientific collaboration with other NCCCP hospitals, oncology experts at the NCI, and other cancer research organizations. This approach leads to an environment where patient treatment plans are developed from evidence-based practices with the goal of providing patients with the best possible outcomes.

Community Hospitals Treat Most Cancer Patients
Community hospitals diagnose and treat more than eight out of 10 U.S. cancer patients. So it makes sense for NCI to partner with local hospitals to deliver an enhanced level of cancer care to patients in the communities where they live.

The NCCCP is one of a number of NCI programs focused on community-based cancer care including the Community Networks Program (CNP), the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) and the Minority Based Community Clinical Oncology Program (MB-CCOP).

Patient Benefits
Patients at NCCCP hospitals benefit from access to:

  • Multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art treatment
  • Cancer education and screening services
  • Clinical trials that are testing new cancer treatments
  • Enhanced survivorship and palliative care programs
  • Genetic testing and counseling services
Many NCCCP hospitals are located in rural and inner-city communities with medically underserved populations. Through enhanced outreach, the NCCCP is bringing more patients from diverse backgrounds into a system of high-quality cancer care and cancer research.

A National Institutes of Health Institute
Part of the National Institutes of Health, NCI is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training. NCI established the NCCCP network of community hospitals in 2007 to complement the extraordinary cancer care practiced at the nation's largest, academic-based cancer centers, and to offer that high level of care in community hospitals, where patients can remain close to their homes, work and family.

Patient Navigators Ensure Cancer Patients Get What They Need

NCCCP Hospitals

Forty percent of NCCCP program funding is dedicated to reducing cancer healthcare disparities in the communities in which the NCCCP hospitals are located.

The NCCCP cancer centers reach out to medically underserved members of their communities by offering free cancer screening events, cancer education programs, patient navigation services to improve care coordination, and formation of partnerships with local community organizations, such as churches and advocacy groups.

All NCCCP hospitals are required to have a policy that all patients screened for cancer are offered treatment for cancer regardless of their ability to pay.

Read about the NCCCP cancer centers and how they are reaching out to their communities.

  • California
  • St. Joseph Health
    The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment
    Orange, California
    Co-Principal Investigator: Jay Harness, jay.harness@stjoe.org
    Co-Principal Investigator: Maria Gonzalez, maria1.gonzalez@stjoe.org
    Administrative Lead: Pam Hockett, Pamela.hockett@stjoe.org
  • Colorado
  • Penrose St. Francis Health Services
    Penrose Cancer center
    Colorado Springs, Colorado
    Catholic Health Initiatives system Principal Investigator: Richard Deming, rdeming@mercydesmoines.org
    Site Principal Investigator: James Young, james.young@usoncology.com
    Administrative Lead: Peggy McKinney, peggymckinney@catholichealth.net
  • Connecticut
  • Hartford Hospital
    Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center
    Hartford, Connecticut
    Principal Investigator: Andrew Salner, asalner@harthosp.org
    Administrative Lead: Susan Wright, sswright@harthosp.org
  • Delaware
  • Helen F. Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care
    Newark, Delaware
    Principal Investigator: Nicholas Petrelli, npetrelli@christianacare.org
    Administrative Lead: Pat Swanson, pswanson@christianacare.org
  • Georgia
  • Northside Hospital
    Northside Cancer Institute
    Atlanta, Georgia
    Principal Investigator: Guilherme Cantuaria, guilherme.cantuaria@northside.com
    Administrative Lead: Patti Owen, patti.owen@northside.com
  • St. Joseph’s/Candler
    Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion
    Savannah, Georgia
    Principal Investigator: H. A. Zaren, drzaren@sjchs.org
    Administrative Lead: Nancy Johnson, johnsonn@sjchs.org
  • Hawaii
  • The Queen's Medical Center
    The Queen's Cancer Center
    Honolulu, Hawaii
    Principal Investigator: Paul Morris, paulmorrismd@gmail.com
    Administrative Lead: Debbie Ishihara-Wong, dwong@queens.org
  • Iowa
  • Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines
    Mercy Cancer Center
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Principal Investigator: Richard Deming, rdeming@mercydesmoines.org
    Administrative Lead: Jackie Frost-Kunnen, jfrost.kunnen@mercydesmoines.org
  • Kentucky
  • Norton Suburban Hospital
    Norton Cancer Institute
    Louisville, Kentucky
    Principal Investigator: Sandra Brooks, Sandra.brooks@nortonhealthcare.org
    Administrative Lead: Jim Steggeman, jim.steggeman@nortonhealthcare.org
  • Louisiana
  • Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
    Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    Principal Investigator/Medical Director: David Hanson, NCCCPHanson@marybird.com
    Co-Principal Investigator/Admin Lead: Renea Duffin, renead@marybird.com
  • Michigan
  • Saint Mary's Health Care
    The Lacks Cancer Center
    Grand Rapids, Michigan
    Principal Investigator: Tom Gribbin, gribbint@trinity-health.org
    Administrative Lead: Kenda Klotz, klotzk@trinity-health.org
  • Montana
  • Billings Clinic
    Billings Clinic Cancer Center
    Billings, Montana
    Principal Investigator: John Schallenkamp, jschallenkamp@billingsclinic.org
    Administrative Lead: Jo Duszkiewicz, jduszkiewicz@billingsclinic.org
  • Nebraska
  • Saint Francis Medical Center
    Saint Francis Cancer Treatment Center
    Grand Island, Nebraska
    Catholic Health Initiatives system Principal Investigator: Richard Deming, rdeming@mercydesmoines.org
    Site Principal Investigator: Mehmet Copur, mcopur@sfmc-gi.org
    Administrative Lead, Catholic Health Initiatives system: Peggy McKinney, peggymckinney@catholichealth.net
  • Good Samaritan Hospital
    Kearney, Nebraska
    Catholic Health Initiatives system Principal Investigator: Richard Deming, rdeming@mercydesmoines.org
    Site Principal Investigator: George Bascom, georgeb51@hotmail.com
    Administrative Lead, Catholic Health Initiatives system: Peggy McKinney, peggymckinney@catholichealth.net
  • Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center
    Saint Elizabeth Cancer Institute
    Lincoln, Nebraska
    Catholic Health Initiatives system Principal Investigator: Richard Deming, rdeming@mercydesmoines.org
    Site Principal Investigator: Kevin Yiee, kyiee@stez.org
    Administrative Lead, Catholic Health Initiatives system: Peggy McKinney, peggymckinney@catholichealth.net
  • Pennsylvania
  • Lehigh Valley Health Network
    John and Dorothy Morgan Cancer Center
    a part of Lehigh Valley Health Network
    Allentown, Pennsylvania
    Principal Investigator: Debbie Salas-Lopez, Debbie.salas@lvhn.org
    Administrative Lead: Keith Weinhold, keith.weinhold@lvhn.org
  • Geisinger Medical Center
    Geisinger Medical Center Cancer Institute
    Danville, Pennsylvania
    Co-Principal Investigator: Victor Vogel, vgvogel@geisinger.edu
    Co-Principal Investigator: Matthew Facktor, mafacktor@geisinger.edu
    Administrative Lead: Thomas Graves, tagraves@geisinger.edu
  • Einstein Healthcare Network
    Einstein Cancer Center
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Principal Investigator: William Tester, tester@einstein.edu
    Administrative Lead: Christopher Minnick, minnickc@einstein.edu
  • South Carolina
  • Spartanburg Regional
    Gibbs Cancer Center
    Spartanburg, South Carolina
    Principal Investigator: James Bearden, jbearden@srhs.com
    Administrative Lead: Lucy Gansauer, lgansauer@srhs.com
  • South Dakota
  • Sanford USD Medical Center
    Sanford Cancer Center
    Sioux Falls, South Dakota
    Co-Principal Investigator: Thomas Asfeldt, Thomas.asfeldt@sanfordhealth.org
    Co-Principal Investigator: Maria Bell, maria.bell@sanfordhealth.org
    Administrative Lead: Kristi Olesen, Kristi.olesen@sanfordhealth.org
  • Wisconsin
  • Gundersen Health System
    Gundersen Lutheran Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
    La Crosse, Wisconsin
    Principal Investigator: Alcee Jumonville, ajjumonv@gundluth.org
    Administrative Lead: Sarah Archer, SJArcher@gundluth.org