Dana-Farber Cancer Institute intends to team up with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to improve access to cancer care, and the move would end a different decades-old affiliation.
The Boston-based organizations on Thursday announced plans to create a freestanding inpatient cancer hospital for adults in Boston's Longwood Medical and Academic Area. Beth Israel Deaconess's affiliated physician group, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, is also taking part in the oncology care collaboration.
While it will take years for the plan to come to fruition, when it does Dana-Farber will sever its 26-year relationship with Brigham and Women’s Hospital for inpatient and surgical care, and Beth Israel Deaconess will end its independent oncology programs.
Related: Specialty health systems pursue mergers, partnerships
The facility will operate under the license of Dana-Farber. Each organization, including its executive leadership, boards of trustees and philanthropy, will remain independent.
The size of the facility and number of beds will be determined as part of the regulatory process, which will require a determination of need to license new inpatient beds and Boston building permits, according to a Dana-Farber spokesperson.
Executives emphasized the importance of advancing adult cancer care as the incidence of disease and severity of illness continue to increase.
“We believe this will position us to provide world renowned cancer treatment in outpatient and inpatient settings well into the future,” said Dana-Farber President and CEO Dr. Laurie Glimcher in a news release.
The announcement is the latest investment in cancer care made by healthcare organizations. In June, Ochsner Health and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced a partnership to bring Ochsner facilities access to clinical trials and MD Anderson’s network of specialists.
Also in June, 91 organizations including providers such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, MD Anderson and City of Hope Medical Center joined a public-private partnership called CancerX to advance innovation in the treatment of the disease.
In February 2022, City of Hope acquired Cancer Treatment Centers of America for $390 million in a move that grew its footprint into Arizona, Illinois and Georgia. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has also inked clinical partnerships with health systems over the last decade.
