Med Center Health honored for lung cancer care

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Med Center Health is being honored for lung cancer care and testing.

According to a release Wednesday by Med Center Health, it has been named a Center of Excellence by GO2 for Lung Cancer for its ongoing commitment to giving the south-central Kentucky community “patient-centered, evidence-based lung cancer care” and for providing access to testing for molecular and immune biomarkers in eligible patients.

Med Center Health states an “estimated 237,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer” each year, and it remains the “leading cause of cancer deaths.” Officials say lung cancer survival rates are growing at a rapid pace due to new treatments.

“Med Center Health is proud to be designated as a Center of Excellence for Lung Cancer Care and Biomarker Testing,” said Lacey Phelps, clinical practice manager of Med Center Health Hematology & Oncology. “This recognition signifies our program adheres to national best practices and clinical guidelines for lung cancer care. It reflects our commitment to providing seamless, high-quality care. Through our Lung Nodule Clinic, our dedicated team of providers work collaboratively to streamline the entire process of screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Kentucky has some of the highest rates of lung cancer, and our mission is clear: to detect lung cancer early and give every patient the best possible chance to beat it.”

Around 20% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer have no tobacco history and do not meet modern guidelines for screening, according to Med Center Health.

Officials say finding actionable biomarkers and the advancement of therapies that target the disease have transformed treatment.

“We are proud to have Med Center Health among the community of GO2 for Lung Cancer Centers of Excellence that is national in scope and local in impact,” said GO2 chief healthcare delivery officer, Joelle Fathi. “Across the U.S., the majority of people at risk for or living with lung cancer are served by a local community hospital near their home. Through the GO2 COE network of community hospitals, clinics, and academic and VA medical centers, we are fostering and supporting essential knowledge sharing and collaboration that brings national and global advancements in early detection, treatment and care close to home.”

Hospitals designed as a Center of Excellence by GO2 are “committed to the principles of patient-centered communication and decision making across the entire care pathway,” the release states.

The release says this includes access to standard cancer care within medical, radiation and surgical oncology and pathology, following practice standards based on evidence, expert consensus and clinical guidelines and engaging in team-based mechanisms for multidisciplinary input guide care and treatment recommendations.

To learn more about Med Center Health’s lung cancer care options, click here.