Beginning Monday, June 28, residents in the rapidly-growing Braselton area will have one-stop destination for cancer care when the Braselton Cancer Center opens its doors to patients.
Located inside Medical Plaza 1, on the campus of NGMC Braselton, the Braselton Cancer Center boasts a dedicated entrance and parking for its patients along with an expanded footprint overall, according to information released last week by the healthcare system.
Physicians and leaders from Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Longstreet Clinic and Northeast Georgia Physicians Group gathered Thursday afternoon for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to open the new facility, and they discussed the difference they believe the new center will make when it comes to navigating cancer services.
"This new collaborative space puts our patients’ needs front and center by providing a more cohesive environment with access to both medical oncology/hematology and radiation oncology services within steps of each other,” said Charles Nash III, MD, medical director of NGMC’s Cancer Services and medical oncologist with Longstreet Clinic.
Kevin Matson is vice president of Cancer Services for Northeast Georgia Health System, and he said the collaboration of the different healthcare groups is vital.
"Our shared goal is always to create the best possible experience for our cancer patients. From the convenience of a dedicated entrance to the close proximity of services and providers, everything has been designed with patient comfort and healing in mind," Matson said.
While patients visiting Medical Plaza 1 could previously visit both Longstreet Clinic’s Medical Oncology and Hematology and Northeast Georgia Physicians Group’s Radiation Oncology, they had to travel to multiple places. Now there are fewer miles to drive and steps to take. In addition, Longstreet Clinic more than doubled its previous space, adding a larger waiting area and more exam rooms for its patients.
“As the Braselton area continues to grow, this larger space for our patients and providers is crucial,” said Mimi Collins, Longstreet Clinic’s CEO. “The unified space means less logistics for patients to worry about, so they can focus on their health. I’m thrilled with the outcome of this group’s hard work and collaboration – a beautiful new healing space welcoming cancer patients with ease and accessibility.”
Longstreet Clinic has 12 medical oncology providers and is one of only seven practices in Georgia to be certified by the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Practice Initiative (QOPI).
Those clinicians partner with NGPG’s team of seven radiation oncologists, serving three locations across the northeast Georgia area. NGPG plans to add a second linear accelerator to its Braselton space in the future to help meet the growing demands of its patient base.
“The Cancer Center allows opportunity for better collaboration between providers,” said Malay Rao, MD, NGPG’s primary radiation oncologist in Braselton. “We are literally just steps from each other, so we can more efficiently coordinate patient care and treatment planning without ever leaving the building.”
NGMC is also an affiliate of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, which gives people access to closely coordinated treatment plans and access to more than 275 existing therapeutic clinical trials and research projects led by some of the top clinical investigators in the country.
