Sibley Memorial Hospital Collaborates with Unity Health Care to Provide Cancer Services at the Parkside Health Center

Washington, D.C. (June 24, 2019)— In collaboration withUnity Health Care (Unity), Sibley Memorial Hospitalhas established a cancer clinic within the Parkside Health Center, located at 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, Washington, DC 20019. The specialty services offered through this collaboration will provide much-needed cancer care to underserved patients in Wards 7 and 8 and throughout the District of Columbia. The Parkside Health Center will serve as home base for a Sibley Memorial Hospital nurse navigator. This navigator will help patients overcome barriers to care by acting as a clinical resource, advocate and educator and by facilitating timely access to treatment at theJohns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley. Additionally, the navigator will coordinate the patient care journey from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond, working closely with a multidisciplinary medical team to develop patient treatment plans and subsequent care. “Washington, DC, has some of the highest rates of cancer in the nation, particularly in Wards 7 and 8. Contributing to this are serious disparities in access to cancer care,” said Hasan Zia, M.D., M.B.A., interim president and CEO of Sibley Memorial Hospital. “At Sibley, we fundamentally believe that a resident’s zip code should not determine their health and well-being. Collaborations like this one with Unity Health Care will help to improve access for residents of Wards 7 and 8 to world-class cancer treatment at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley. This is a unique partnership that will provide access to specialty cancer care in a way that isn’t widely available in Wards 7 and 8.” “Unity is thrilled to partner with Sibley Memorial Hospital to bring these much needed cancer services to patients,” says Vincent A. Keane, president and CEO of Unity Health Care. “At Unity, we pride ourselves on being the medical home for our patients. With this partnership, we can continue to expand the network of health services accessible to our patients.” Because many residents of Wards 7 and 8 suffer high rates of cancer, specifically, prostate and gynecological cancers, the Sibley Cancer Service will initially focus on those two cancer types; however, all patients presenting with any type of cancer will be able to receive diagnostic and treatment options at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Patients are also free to seek cancer treatment at other facilities. While headquartered in the Sibley Cancer Service at the Parkside site, the nurse navigator will also travel to Unity’s five additional health centers located throughout Wards 7 and 8 to help ensure robust access to lifesaving cancer care. Physicians participating in this collaborative initiative are full-time faculty members of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and recognized leaders in their fields.