UAB: Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Deep South Cancer Navigation Network, funded by a Health Care Innovation Challenge Grant Award from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, aims to provide as much as $49.8 million in savings in cancer care costs over three years while creating more than 50 new jobs to carry out the work.

Through the network, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, UAB Medicine and participating UAB Cancer Care Network affiliates will focus on helping cancer patients make the most appropriate choices for their treatment, reduce the use of ineffective therapies and maximize the appropriate use of healthcare resources.

In collaboration with participating UAB Cancer Care Network affiliates – representing community hospitals and cancer centers in 10 communities across Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and the Florida Panhandle – the Deep South Cancer Navigation Network will deploy a workforce of lay navigators who will provide patients with information about the process of cancer treatment, help patients make informed choices about their care, provide emotional support and problem-solving, assist with overcoming common barriers to cancer treatment and encourage patients to make wise use of healthcare resources. This approach will improve the overall quality of life for cancer patients and their families by encouraging age-appropriate screenings, tobacco-use cessation, healthy eating, increased physical activity and co-morbidity management during longer term cancer survivorship.

Based on the premise that guideline-driven cancer management leads to decreased overall cost, the multidisciplinary teams at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center will work with local oncologists in the UAB Cancer Care Network to emphasize the importance of using evidence-based, cost-effective treatments when caring for cancer patients.  A trained navigation team including a registered nurse, trained lay navigators, community educators and other support staff will assist the oncologists in each community. In addition, physicians and patients will be encouraged to make appropriate use of hospice care for advanced illness and eliminate the use of ineffective chemotherapy treatments in the advanced stages of disease.

The UAB Cancer Care Network is an affiliation program with hospitals across Alabama, Florida, and Georgia that emphasizes collaboration between UAB and community cancer centers on evidence based guidelines for cancer treatment to patients in the local communities.

Benefits of the Affiliate Network to Patients:

--Local physicians and UAB physicians promoting the highest quality of care close to home.

--Consultation, screening and information on the latest clinical trials available.

--Efficient referral services for high acuity patients who need the specialized services of a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

--Enhanced access to care prevention, early detection, education, and screenings.

Contact Information

Inquiries regarding the the Deep South Cancer Navigation Network or the UAB Cancer Care Network:

(205) 975-3008 - phone

(205) 975-4980 - fax

Media inquiries:

Beena Thannickal

(205) 975-3967, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it