NCI Community Oncology Research Program

In August 2019, MaineHealth was one of two new organizations to join the prestigious NationalCancerInstitute(NCI) CommunityOncologyResearchProgram(NCORP). The MaineHealth NCORP is a six-year, $5.1M project (PI: S. Remick, 1UG1 CA239771).

Highlights over the first three years of our project period include the following:

 Successful recruitment of >60% patients enrolled on clinical trials living in rural settings;

 Fourth-leading accruer in US (see right) in NCI’s high-priority Cancer MoonshotSM Biobank (CMB) study, a longitudinal study that collects multiple tissue and blood samples, along with medical information, from cancer patients. As of 02/13/2023, we have enrolled 183 participants, approximately 80% of whom live in rural locations;

 Two supplemental awards totaling an additional $412,000, supporting an MHCCN cancer workforce Covid-19 seroprevalence study and community engagement activities as part of CMB;

 Four of our investigators with standing representation on NCI Steering Committees and Task Forces: o Dr. Leslie Bradford, Gynecology Oncology o Dr. Christine Lu-Emerson, Neuro-Oncology o Dr. Sharon Siegel, Radiology and o Dr. Vatche Tchekmedyian, Head & Neck Oncology.

Other Quality Initiatives

Quality programs and initiatives are a leading area of focus for the MHCCN. Under the leadership of Evie Taylor, RN, BSN, MHA, Senior Director of Oncology Outpatient Services, and Lauren Couture, BS, MS, Director of Quality, our overall approach to quality has evolved over the past year with the introduction of more robust and sophisticated quality reporting and analytical tools.

Previously our quality work existed in the care-delivery space, heavily dependent on static data reporting and patient outcomes. We have shifted the paradigm by adding data scientists to the team: we are now able to monitor real-time clinical performance as well as mine historical clinic and operational data through an integrated data warehouse. Lauren’s team has developed an operational dashboard that updates daily and daily and highlights key performance indicators. These data points help us better understand how to improve our care-delivery workflows and models more efficiently