Columbia St. Mary's Brings State-of-the-Art
Cancer Care to All

Columbia St. Mary's has always been dedicated to the latest medical advances in cancer care and to caring for the body, mind and spirit of our patients.

Being selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a pilot site of NCI's Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) allows us to further build on our philosophy of care.

In 2007, Columbia St. Mary's was the only health system in Wisconsin to be selected by the NCI to participate in this important program, designed to encourage the collaboration of private-practice medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists — with close links to NCI research and to the network of 63 NCI-designated Cancer Centers principally based at large research universities.

Columbia St. Mary's Cancer Center-Water Tower Medical Commons

Columbia St. Mary’s Cancer Center-Ozaukee Hospital

American Cancer Society

Cancer Care Encyclopedia

In order to be considered for the three-year pilot program that began in 2007, Columbia St. Mary's met three main criteria:

• Pilot sites must be community hospital-based cancer centers offering multi-specialty cancer care (medical, surgical, and radiation oncology) under one administrative, medical structure and with a qualified physician director with cancer expertise.
• Pilot sites must see at least 1,000 new cancer cases each year.
• Sites must have experience conducting clinical trials and have a track record of providing leadership within their communities in providing healthcare outreach programs to serve the needs of underrepresented and disadvantages populations.

The results from Columbia St. Mary's pilot program will provide recommendations to develop a community-based platform and information network for expanded cancer research, and access to a greater number and cross section of patients. The pilot program will examine methods that will lead to the rapid translation of newly discovered biomarkers (diagnostics) and the sophisticated, molecularly targeted therapies of the future. It will also explore ways in which to speed the development of new cancer drugs, reduce the cost of drug approvals, and provide the best possible care for the greatest number of patients.

View videos from the Cancer Survivor Picnic