The UH Team: Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion

The University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center care team, some of whom are depicted on the cover, represents just one of the many teams across the UH system that join together to compassionately care for our patients and their families. The patients featured in this report exemplify a sample of the lives we’ve been honored to care for in our quest to advance the science of health and the art of compassion.

In the complex world of cancer care, UH Seidman Cancer Center
– a founding member of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center – stands apart. At the center of the tremendous technology and specialized expertise is the indelible personal connection UH Seidman Cancer Center makes with its valued patients.

Every patient who entrusts UH with his or her cancer care is backed by a strong team of professionals, from surgeons, nurses and social workers to medical oncologists, infusion therapists, radiation oncologists and patient navigators. These specialists comprise 14 disease teams, each focused on a specific type of cancer.

A vast network of 18 community-based cancer centers covers a wide swath of the region, touching thousands of lives each year. At the hub of this expansive network is the region’s only freestanding cancer hospital, solely devoted to the treatment of cancer and hematologic disorders.

Breast health is just one area with a continuum of care that includes a robust screening and diagnosis program. UH is the first hospital in the region to offer highly sensitive digital breast tomosynthesis and 3-D mammography; cancer detection is up to 60 percent higher compared to traditional mammography. Fast Breast MRI is the latest specialized tool for finding difficult-to-detect cancers in women with dense breast tissue. Use of genomic tumor testing and a biorepository for tissue and blood samples are helping to provide personalized care and new treatment options for breast cancer.

More than 300 cancer trials are available to patients through UH’s Clinical Research Center, which is expediting the development and delivery of novel therapies. Our physician-scientists and clinical researchers are developing targeted ways to aid patients whose cancer resists standard treatment. Along with the high quality care provided at our flagship academic medical center, we’ve given hope to patients in rural communities who gained access to our treatment at community hospitals across Northeast Ohio. Through the pioneering research conducted at UH and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (designated by the NCI as one of 49 comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S.), our patients have access to the most advanced care available. Blending the science of health with the art of compassion, UH Seidman Cancer Center exemplifies UH medicine in its finest form.