IN Cranberry Spring 2017 | Page 4

Allegheny Health Network: Bringing innovative and expert care to your community Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute Brings Expert Cancer Care to Your Community A cancer diagnosis creates fear, confusion, and relentless questions: Will I survive? Where do I go for the best treatment? Will I run out of money? The good news is more people than ever — about 70% — survive cancer. Unfortunately, the demands and financial costs of cancer treatment generate more stress, which can impact health, and even cause cancer to progress six times faster. Best-in-class Treatment Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute offers a new and more integrated way to treat cancer. Our care begins with one radical idea: The patient comes first. At AHN Cancer Institute, we treat the whole person — not just the disease — by meeting the medical, financial, social, and cultural needs of the individual. With each patient, our multidisciplinary teams of oncology experts and care professionals develop plans that optimize proven treatments, leading to the best possible outcomes. This approach reduces unnecessary tests or ineffective, possibly toxic, treatments. Our team usually meets with the patient within three days of the initial diagnosis. We deliver this expert care right in the local community, because a hospital setting is not needed most of the time — even for complex care. At community-based centers, patients gain: • More time with family or at work. • Greater comfort and safety. • Less stress and strain on compromised immune systems. Community-based care is more convenient and less costly. It also achieves better outcomes when expertly delivered, evidence-based treatments happen close to home. For patients needing sophisticated procedures in a hospital setting, AHN has leading cancer experts, top- quality hospitals, and specialty-based academic centers at Allegheny General Hospital and West Penn Hospital. Five AHN hospitals rank in top 25–30% of all hospitals nationally for Medical Excellence in Cancer Care.* Rare or Complex Cancers AHN works with the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, which provides additional benefits to our patients with rare or complex cancers. Johns Hopkins experts are available for second opinions, if needed. The collaboration broadens our education and research opportunities and connects patients to more clinical trials. Johns Hopkins looks to AHN and Highmark to help advance its own community-based care model, research, and education. Empowering Patients Patients who understand what to expect are better prepared to take part in their own care. They deserve providers who take time to answer their questions as often as needed. Typically, cancer patients meet with at least 13 doctors during treatment. We coordinate care so that everyone is working for the best possible outcome. We added Patient Navigators who work one-on-one with patients — either in person or by phone or email. They simplify the health care system by scheduling appointments and discussing treatment options. They offer support and encouragement, guiding the patient through every stage of their treatment. We bring leading expertise in cancer care back to the community, preserving our patients’ time, energy, and money so they can focus on what’s most important — getting well. *Source: Quantros, Inc.; CareChex® 2017 National Quality Rating Database: FFY 2013, 2014 and 2015