Mercy Health — Lorain will affiliate with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute’s The James Cancer Network (OSUCCC – James) to enhance cancer care services for cancer patients throughout Lorain County and beyond. 
  
Mercy Health — Lorain Cancer Center provides care in all cancer types, now with enhanced access to the expertise and specialists at the OSUCCC – James, as an affiliate of The James Cancer Network. 

With more than 200 oncologists, each of whom specialize in just one type of cancer, the OSUCCC – James offers expert sub-specialization, which leads to more profound integration with cancer research and, ultimately, to better outcomes. All of which will now be available here within Lorain County, joining the current expert medical oncologists practicing at the Mercy Health Cancer Center. Outcomes that will be delivered in partnership with the current expert medical oncologists from American Oncology Network (AON) that care for patients at the Mercy Health Cancer Center.  

“At Mercy Health, we monitor and adapt our services based on the needs of our community,” said Ed Oley, market president, Mercy Health – Lorain. “We have been fortunate at Mercy Health to provide highly specialized care for a variety of health issues. Today, this cancer care affiliation is an incredible moment in our community’s access to expert care.” 

“This new affiliation enables us all to benefit from a shared vision of creating a cancer-free world,” says William Farrar, MD, chief executive officer at the OSUCCC – James. “As health care professionals in Ohio State’s cancer program collaborate with the exceptional cancer teams at Mercy Health – Lorain, more and more people with cancer in Lorain county and beyond will have access to the most state-of-the-art and cutting-edge cancer treatments and research available—all while receiving care close to home.”

The new collaboration is part of a larger alliance between The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC), a world-class, academic medical center and Mercy Health, the largest health care provider in the state with the goal of transforming the health of the communities we serve. Healthy State Alliance is a strategic initiative to improve the health of the communities we serve by tackling Ohio’s most critical health issues, including cancer.

Mercy Health currently offers therapies and surgical technologies that address a number of cancer types including esophageal, prostate, breast and lung among others. 

“The breast cancer program at the Mercy Health – Lorain is one of several programs at the Cancer Center that not only provides the latest in diagnostic and screening technology, but offers a place close to home where patients already access expert surgical and oncological treatment,” said Dr. Mita Patel, breast surgeon and oncologist at the Mercy Health Lorain Cancer Center. “This new affiliation will enhance our current level of care while connecting patients to the latest in research.”

“I am thrilled to work alongside my colleagues at the OSCUCC – James to couple our incredible surgical outcomes with the latest in research and new clinical trials,” added Dr. Jason Robke, thoracic surgeon at Mercy Health – Lorain who specializes in the treatment of lung cancer. “When given the choice, our patients will always choose to stay close to their loved ones and support network. With this collaboration, patients now have the expertise of a highly-specialized cancer network while being able to sleep in their own home.”

“On behalf of everyone at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, we welcome Mercy Health – Lorain to The James Cancer Network.” Added Farrar.