Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance Welcomes St. Luke's University Health Network

St. Luke's University Health Network joins Caris' extensive network of leading cancer institutions committed to utilizing clinical data to advance patient care and outcomes

IRVING, Texas, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences^®(Caris), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize health care, announced today that St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) has joined Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance™ (POA). The POA is a growing network of leading cancer centers across the globe that collaborate to advance precision oncology and biomarker-driven research. POA members work together to establish and optimize standards of care for molecular testing through innovative research focused on predictive and prognostic markers that improve the clinical outcomes for cancer patients.

Founded in 1872 as its area's first community hospital, St. Luke's University Health Network is today a regional, non-profit, fully integrated, nationally-recognized network of more than 17,000 employees providing services to over one million people at 14 campuses and 300+ outpatient sites in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. St. Luke's is the only Lehigh Valley-based healthcare system to earn Medicare's five-star ratings for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. SLUHN is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World's Best Hospital. U.S. News & World Report ranked St. Luke's #1 in the Lehigh Valley and #6 in the state. 

"St. Luke's University Health Network is excited to join Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance and partner with key academic and clinical institutions similarly dedicated to advancing precision medicine and biomarker research," said Israel Zighelboim, M.D., FACOG, FACS, Interim Chair, Department of Oncology – Cancer Center Director, St. Luke's University Health Network.

St. Luke's 1,900+ physicians and providers are some of the most experienced in the industry, earning awards for clinical excellence and striving daily for innovations to improve patient care. SLUHN continues the tradition of health care in the Lehigh Valley by providing primary and specialist care sites, various outpatient testing and service facilities, a regional medical school campus, the nation's oldest operating nursing school, home health, inpatient and outpatient hospice services, and the largest trauma network in Pennsylvania.

"The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance is thrilled to welcome St. Luke's University Health Network as a new member as we continue our growth," said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "This expanded collaborative effort of institutions from across the country continues to lead to innovative research to improve the outcomes of patients with cancer."

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance includes 72 cancer centers and academic institutions. These institutions have early access to the extensive database and artificial intelligence platform within Caris to establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling available through Caris molecular profiling, Caris seeks to provide this network with the ability to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. POA members are also able to integrate with a growing portfolio of biomarker directed trials sponsored by biopharma. Additionally, as a member of the POA, institutions have access to Caris CODEai™, the most comprehensive data solution in the industry with cancer treatment information and clinical outcomes data for over 275,000 patients covering over 1 million data points per patient.

Caris Life Sciences^® (Caris) is the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Through comprehensive molecular profiling (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing) and the application of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, Caris has created the large-scale clinico-genomic database and cognitive computing needed to analyze and unravel the molecular complexity of disease. This information provides an unmatched resource and the ideal path forward to conduct the basic, fundamental research to accelerate discovery for detection, diagnosis, monitoring, therapy selection and drug development to improve the human condition.

With a primary focus on cancer, Caris' suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps patients, physicians and researchers better detect, diagnose and treat patients. Caris' latest advancement is a blood-based, circulating nucleic acids sequencing (cNAS) assay that combines comprehensive molecular analysis (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing from blood) and serial monitoring – making it the most powerful liquid biopsy assay ever developed.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris has offices in Phoenix, New York, Denver, Tokyo, Japan and Basel, Switzerland. Caris provides services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS).

SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare's five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World's Best Hospital. U.S. News & World Report ranked St. Luke's #1 in the Lehigh Valley and #6 in the state. The Network's flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from Fortune/Merative 10 times total and eight years in a row, including in 2022 when it was identified as the #2 teaching hospital in the country. In 2021, St. Luke's was identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems nationally. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN's information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. The Network is also recognized as one of the state's lowest cost providers.

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:
Lisa Burgner
[email protected] 
214.294.5606

St. Luke's University Health Network Media Contact:
Sam Kennedy
[email protected]
484.526.4134

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences