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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 15, 2024) — The Lexington VA Health Care System is now affiliated with the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, Kentucky’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
By joining the UK Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network, the Lexington VA Health Care System becomes one of 20 affiliated hospitals in Kentucky.
This partnership will provide Kentucky veterans with expanded access to specialized cancer care, including clinical trials and advanced technology available only at NCI-designated cancer centers. Through this affiliation, veterans can receive comprehensive cancer care – from prevention to treatment to survivorship – within the VA network and closer to home.
“Joining the UK Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network marks a significant milestone.” said Lexington VA Health Care System Executive Director Russell Armstead. “This groundbreaking partnership between a VA hospital and an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center is a powerful step forward in fulfilling our duty to provide the highest quality care to our veterans. Their sacrifices for our nation are immeasurable, and through this collaboration, we’re ensuring they receive the excellence in cancer care they deserve.”
With its two Lexington campuses and community clinics in Berea, Hazard, Moreheadand Somerset, the Lexington VA Health Care System serves a population of nearly 83,000 veterans across Central Kentucky. Since 2015, Lexington VA Health Care System has seen an average of more than 500 newly diagnosed cancer cases annually, providing care to more than 12,000 unique veterans diagnosed with cancer through more than 150,000 visits. The system offers a wide range of cancer services — including various surgical specialties, medical oncology and chemotherapy infusion — to treat many cancer types, along with essential ancillary services such as physical therapy, mental health support and social work assistance.
“By joining forces with UK Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network, we are pooling our resources, expertise and dedication to provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care tailored specifically to the unique needs of our veterans,” said Anna Rose, clinical nurse specialist at the Lexington VA Health Care System. “Our collaboration will enhance access to cutting-edge treatments, advanced diagnostics and holistic support services, ensuring that our veterans receive the best possible care throughout their cancer journey.”
This affiliation builds upon the longstanding partnership between UK and the VA. Both institutions collaborate on research, education and patient care, with many UK faculty members holding joint appointments at the VA.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Lexington VA Health Care System into the UK Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network,” said Colleen Swartz, D.N.P., acting UK HealthCare chief operations officer. “This new alliance will accelerate our joint efforts in cancer research and treatment, ultimately improving outcomes for Kentucky’s veterans and all cancer patients in our region.”
The Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network was created in 2006 to provide high-quality cancer care closer to home and to minimize the effects of cancer through prevention and education programs, exceptional clinical care and access to research. This work is particularly important in Kentucky, where cancer rates are the highest in the nation.
Military veterans also experience a significant cancer burden, with higher rates of several cancer types. Within the Lexington VA Health Care System, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma are the most common diagnoses. These patterns reflect national statistics on cancer among veterans and guide targeted efforts in prevention, early detection and treatment.
Markey is one of only 57 cancer centers in the country to earn the NCI’s Comprehensive Cancer Center designation. The designation gives Markey patients access to the latest treatments and clinical trials offered only at NCI centers. The new alliance marks a groundbreaking collaboration between an NCI-designated cancer center and a VA health care system.
“This innovative partnership is a model for how NCI-designated cancer centers and the VA can collaborate effectively to address the distinct health challenges experienced by our veterans,” said Markey Cancer Center Director B. Mark Evers, M.D. “It embodies Markey’s mission to reduce Kentucky’s cancer burden and ensure that every Kentuckian, including our veterans, has access to world-class cancer care.”
As a member of the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network, the Lexington VA Health Care System will also receive support in pursuing Commission on Cancer (CoC) accreditation. Recognizing cancer care programs that meet rigorous quality standards, CoC accreditation offers many benefits, including access to reporting tools for benchmarking and improving patient care, and the implementation of standards that ensure multidisciplinary, high-quality and comprehensive patient-centered care.
“The addition of the Lexington VA Health Care System to our Affiliate Network marks a new chapter in our ongoing efforts to extend exceptional cancer care into communities across Kentucky,” said Timothy Mullett, M.D., medical director of the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network. “The partnership will open new avenues to bring leading-edge cancer care and research opportunities directly to our veterans, and demonstrate how strategic collaborations enhance care quality, accelerate research and ultimately improve health outcomes across Kentucky.”
The Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network comprises 20 hospitals across the state of Kentucky:
- Clark Regional Medical Center, Winchester
- Georgetown Community Hospital, Georgetown
- Harlan ARH Hospital, Harlan
- Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana
- Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center, Hazard
- Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center, Prestonsburg
- Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, Somerset
- Lexington VA Health Care System, Lexington
- Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville
- Mercy Health — Lourdes Hospital, Paducah
- Middlesboro ARH Hospital, Middlesboro
- Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, Owensboro
- Rockcastle Regional Hospital, Mt. Vernon
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Edgewood
- Taylor Regional Hospital, Campbellsville
- The Medical Center at Bowling Green, Bowling Green
- TJ Samson Community Hospital, Glasgow
- Tug Valley ARH Regional Medical Center, South Williamson
- UK King’s Daughters, Ashland
- UK St. Claire, Morehead
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generationof doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.
