CAMBRIDGE, Minn. 12/21/2018 — Cambridge Medical Center (CMC) is the recipient of a two-year grant from the University of Minnesota, meant to increase the availability of clinical trials in Minnesota communities. Thanks to the generosity of this grant, CMC is now an affiliate site for the Metro-Minnesota Community Oncology Research Consortium (MMCORC). MMCORC works with hospitals and clinics across the Twin Cities metro so that local physicians have access to the newest advances in cancer research. The MMCORC also links community cancer specialists, primary care physicians and other health care professionals to NCI-approved research studies.
“CMC patients have previously been referred to another facility for access to clinical trials. Becoming an affiliate site for MMCORC will help our team connect even more patients with opportunities to participate in clinical trials," said Cambridge Medical Center president, Gary Shaw. "It will also help us maintain our Commission on Cancer accreditation by meeting the standard that requires that a certain percentage of patients diagnosed with cancer at CMC are placed on a clinical trial."
Dr. Arvind Vemula, CMC Oncologist and Hematologist will be the CMC Senior Research Investigator. He has an extensive research background and was the Director of Clinical Trials and Research at North Iowa Mercy Cancer Center. CMC also recently hired Joyce Kramer, BA, as the Research RN. Joyce has an extensive research and oncology background. Dedicating resources to clinical trial research ensures that both local and national trials are available to cancer patients in our community, and helps them keep their care close to home.
In addition, CMC has a high population of patients who have financial challenges and many need assistance to pay for treatment. Working with the MMCORC via this grant will provide more treatment options to patients that likely wouldn’t have been able to consider advanced care outside of their community.