Moffitt - Shands HealthCare - University of Florida Question & Answer
Collaboration
What is the vision for an alliance among Moffitt, Shands HealthCare and the University of Florida?
The parties believe that there is significant opportunity to create synergies between the organizations and form an alliance that will be the leader in scientific discoveries and translation of compassionate care, cures and prevention of cancer.
The impact of this collaboration effort will not only benefit local communities but residents of Florida and the United States with the goal of improving cancer care worldwide.
What are the goals of the collaboration?
Incorporate a Moffitt model of cancer care at Shands and UF.
Incorporate UF into Moffitt's National Cancer Institute Cancer Center designation.
Increase integration of the broader UF cancer research enterprise into the Moffitt cancer research enterprise.
Improve the overall level of cancer care in Florida.
Increase Florida's profile in cancer care and research in the nation.
Develop this true joint effort for permanence.
What are the benefits of the collaboration? To Floridians? To Moffitt? To Shands HealthCare? To the University of Florida?
This partnership will improve the overall level of cancer care in Florida and will be of tremendous benefit to the citizens of Florida.
It will ultimately increase the reputation of Florida as a leader in the bioscience industry.
This partnership will raise the overall profiles of each of the organizations as leaders in cancer care and research.
Patient Care
What is Total Cancer Care?
Moffitt's Total Cancer Care is a patient-centered program focusing on the needs of patients and families. It combines information technology, scientific research, clinical treatment and quality of life studies that seek to improve the care and outcomes for cancer patients throughout Florida and beyond. It addresses cancer as a public health issue, encompassing the study of genetic predispositions as patients are followed through screening, diagnosis and treatment and incorporating translational research at each step along the continuum of care.
It focuses on developing a database as a source for the collection, storage, integration and management of clinical data and scientific findings that can be translated into new treatments and combines that data with specific genetic information so that oncologists will eventually be able to tailor treatments to their patients.
How will patient care be affected? Will patients have to travel to Gainesville and Tampa for their cancer treatment?
The majority of care will be unaffected. When appropriate, doctors from each institution will collaborate to ensure that the patient receives the best possible care and treatment.
NCI Designation
What is an NCI designation and why is it important?
NCI-designated Cancer Centers are the centerpiece of the nations' effort to reduce morbidity and mortality from cancer. An excellent cancer center is a local, regional and national resource, directly serving its own community and, by the knowledge it creates, the world at large.
The importance is the prestige. The designation puts Moffitt in an elite group of top cancer centers in the nation. Moffitt is one of 63 designated cancer centers and only one of 39 Comprehensive Cancer Centers. The designation provides access to additional research funding and participation in clinical trials.
What are the criteria for NCI designation?
Facilities: Dedicated to the conduct of cancer-focused research, and to the center's shared resources. Administration and research dissemination should be appropriate and adequate to the task.
Organizational Capabilities: For the conduct of research and evaluation and planning of center activities should take maximum advantage of the parent institution's capabilities in cancer research.
Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Collaboration and Coordination: Substantial coordination, interaction and collaboration among center members from a variety of disciplines should enhance and add value to the productivity and quality of research in the center.
Cancer Focus: A defined scientific focus on cancer research should be clear from the center members' grants and contracts and from the structure and objectives of its programs.
Institutional Commitment: The center should be recognized as a formal organizational component with sufficient space, positions and resources to ensure organizational stability and fulfill the center's objectives.
Center Director: The director should be a highly qualified scientist and administrator with leadership experience and institutional authority appropriate to manage the center.
What does this collaboration mean for Moffitt's NCI designation? Will NCI designation be extended to UF?
Moffitt will continue to be reviewed by the NCI every five years, as is standard protocol with all comprehensive cancer centers.
Moffitt is committed to the process of integrating the UF Cancer Center into Moffitt's Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute, with the consent of the NCI.
Research
What kinds of research collaboration already exist between Moffitt and UF?
Research collaboration has been occurring even before this alliance was formed. One of the most prominent examples is in the development of anticancer vaccines. Moffitt researchers using this platform against melanoma are collaborating with researchers at UF who are focused on prostate cancer.
How will this collaboration have an impact on research efforts between Moffitt and UF? Will research efforts be more integrated?
We would expect to open more formal communication lines through joint seminars and symposia on research topics of mutual interest. There will most likely be an effort to jointly seek grant funding in cases where collaboration would provide an advantage, particularly for NCI projects. Clinical trials that each organization conducts could be publicized and promoted to patients of the partner organization, expanding the access of patients to experimental therapies and the population base on which trials are conducted.
Education
What educational activities currently take place at Moffitt?
Comprehensive training, in partnership with the University of South Florida College of Medicine, exists in all aspects of cancer treatment, research and prevention for medical students, postgraduate fellows, residents and community physicians.
What is the impact to education programs at Moffitt and UF?
At this point, the most likely educational exchange would occur with fellows – senior physician trainees in cancer-related disciplines – who might rotate among the facilities.
Existing Affiliations
How is this affiliation different from others?
This affiliation will incorporate the Moffitt model of cancer care outside of the Tampa Bay area in a formalized way.
It also will integrate a significant cadre of new cancer-focused researchers into Moffitt's NCI designation.
This affiliation has the potential to provide tremendous benefit to a huge population. The combination of Moffitt, UF and Shands can be a preeminent cancer care program that will be at the forefront of cancer research and treatment.
How will this collaboration affect existing relationships each institution has with other affiliates?
This affiliation will aim to be inclusive of other cancer programs within the state of Florida who may wish to join this collaborative effort in the future.
Existing relationships and affiliations each institution currently has will not change as a result of this collaboration. We expect this collaboration to have positive effects on existing affiliation relationships of all three institutions. Other affiliates stand to benefit from research and cancer care advances that will result from this collaboration.
Operations & Governance
Is this a merger? If not, will there be a merger in the future?
This is not a merger. Assets will not be exchanged. However, if things go well with this collaboration there may be additional phases that would bring the organizations closer.
Will the organizational structure of any of the institutions involved change? What type of management structure will be put in place to oversee efforts? Who will be in charge?
Each institution will continue to operate as a legally separate entity.
Moffitt, Shands and UF will develop a board-level advisory group. The CEO of Moffitt will chair the advisory board and, along with the Dean of the UF College of Medicine, will jointly appoint the Center Director of the collaborative cancer program effort with the advice and consent of the joint advisory board.
What programs/services/facilities are included in this collaboration?
The initial phase of this relationship will focus on collaboration efforts for cancer care and research between physicians at Moffitt and the UF College of Medicine in Gainesville.
In addition to implementing the TCC initiative, we will emphasize short-term "wins" and milestones, which will include research, joint publications, recruitment and philanthropy. As these initial collaborations become better established, we will continue to phase in other areas of collaboration.
Is this collaboration model similar to others in the country or is it unique?
There are other collaborations around the country that have brought NCI-designated cancer programs together with academic medical centers. Because of the unique structures of academic medical centers, each collaboration is somewhat different.
Financial & Economic Impact
Is there a financial investment being made from any of the organizations involved in this collaboration?
Each organization will make substantial investments in these efforts, but they are not known at this time.
Will new jobs be created?
The arrangement will have a positive economic impact. New faculty will be recruited along with ancillary and support staff. It is too early to give specific numbers.