2018 Henry Ford Health Report

Letter from the Medical Director: Pursuing Perfect Care

At Henry Ford Cancer, we are passionately committed to creating a community where every individual is cared for with the level of expertise, innovation, collaboration, empathy and respect that we would only accept for ourselves and our loved ones. This commitment, our just cause, extends across several core themes that inspire us each and every day:

Seamlessly integrated care

While the Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion in Detroit serves as the anchor for our service line, our integrated cancer network offers multidisciplinary care, advanced treatment options and supportive services across five hospitals and 10 outpatient cancer centers. I am so proud that the Commission on Cancer recently recognized our cancer team as a “role model for an outstanding Integrated Network Cancer Program,” showcasing a “well integrated team driven by purpose.” No matter where patients enter our network, they have access to the latest cancer treatments and can receive much of their care close to home.

Focus on equity

There are major disparities in cancer care for underserved populations and we are studying the underlying causes of this inequity to develop effective solutions. For example, this includes innovative work through two grants (>$2M combined), Participatory Action for Access to Clinical Trials (PAACT) and PAACT 2.0—both focused on facilitating participation in cancer clinical trials among the Black community in Southeast Michigan. We have also sought out strategies to reduce cancer disparities through collaborative events, such as our recent Advancing Health Equity – Oncology Summit.

Whole person care

A cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on the life of each patient. Our supportive oncology program offers individuals the resources they need to support their physical and emotional well-being during cancer treatment and beyond. Each diagnosis is a personal experience, with different support needs, which can change throughout a patient’s cancer journey. This is why we offer an extensive supportive oncology program, ranging from psych-oncology and nutrition services, to real-time patient-reported outcome measures, social workers, and art and music therapy.

Clinical innovation

Our clinical innovations support one-of-a-kind cancer treatments that are crafted precisely for each patient. This includes the growth of our Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, nationally recognized for its clinical and scientific expertise. We have also invested in novel technologies that are revolutionizing cancer therapy, such as the latest real-time adaptive radiation treatments and a minimally invasive daVinci single-port (SP) robotic platform. These exciting clinical innovations help bolster our remarkable growth year after year.

Groundbreaking discovery

Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University (HFH + MSU) Health Sciences is advancing discovery in ways that wouldn’t be possible as separate entities. This includes breaking ground this year on a new world-class research facility in the heart of Detroit. Building on another round of joint cancer research funding (~$1M), HFH + MSU recently received its first joint NCI R01 grant. We are excited that, at Henry Ford Hospital, our U.S. News & World Report rankings for Best Hospital for Cancer continue to rise, again placing us first among cancer programs in the tri-county area.

Care without compromise

I am honored to serve as the Medical Director of Henry Ford Cancer, where I work closely with an outstanding team. I could not be more proud of what we are accomplishing together in our unrelenting commitment for pursuing perfect care. Indeed, in our tireless quest for perfect care, we will capture excellence.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Movsas, M.D., FASTRO, FACR, FARS
Medical Director, Henry Ford Cancer
Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
Henry Ford Health
bmovsas1@hfhs.org