Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University enhance commitment to cancer care, research

DETROIT, Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) and Wayne State University (WSU) have reaffirmed their commitment to promoting excellence in cancer research, education and clinical care with an affiliation agreement that enhances the dynamic partnership spanning more than 20 years.

The affiliation agreement strengthens the relationship between the organizations through a commitment by both KCI and WSU to provide for more funds for research, and through a more integrated governance structure. The agreement, recently approved by the KCI Board of Directors and the WSU Board of Governors, is effective Oct. 1.

"This agreement is crucial for our continued success in fighting cancer, serving our patients and families, and providing the best cancer services available worldwide," said KCI President and Chief Executive Officer Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D. "It is also important in moving forward with a successful renewal of our status as an National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, a distinction Karmanos and WSU have competed for and earned since 1978."

Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers nationwide that has attained the prestigious National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, which recognizes scientific excellence, patient care and community outreach. This puts Karmanos at the forefront of developing and offering treatments that define new standards of care.

"I want to thank WSU President M. Roy Wilson, M.D for his dedication to bringing this affiliation agreement into reality. It serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication of both WSU and KCI to our shared mission," Dr. Bepler added.

The new affiliation agreement builds upon an agreement signed in 2009. Karmanos and WSU have held an affiliation since 1994. Karmanos Cancer Institute includes 167 members who are among the faculty at Wayne State University.

"We are pleased with this agreement because it provides Wayne State and Karmanos an even greater opportunity to advance our history of providing the very best patient care," Dr. Wilson said. "Together, WSU and Karmanos Cancer Institute have conducted research that has contributed substantially to therapeutic breakthroughs in cancer. The community can rest assured that our passionate and committed researchers are working every day to develop a cure for a disease that affects so many."

Under the new agreement, Karmanos will continue to operate and manage on WSU's behalf the cancer center's NCI support grant, which is up for renewal in 2015. The KCI president will serve as the cancer center director and principal investigator of the support grant.

The KCI president/cancer center director also will serve as chair of the WSU Department of Oncology, which includes all oncology-related areas. With this new agreement, the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Division of Gynecologic Oncology join the Department of Oncology.

Karmanos and WSU officials said the new affiliation agreement will promote excellence in research and enhance the reputations of both organizations. It will also help them increase and maximize support of cancer research programs from all public and private funding sources. The new KCI-WSU affiliation agreement will last three years and will automatically extend on a year-by-year basis.

"As a leader in the fight against cancer, Karmanos Cancer Institute strives to provide its patients with the best treatment options with the best possible outcomes," Dr. Bepler said. "Our partnership with Wayne State University ensures that scientific researchers will continue to bring safe, effective and groundbreaking treatments from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside as we work to bring cancer under complete control."

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care, is one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Karmanos is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute's president and chief executive officer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org.  

About Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students.

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SOURCE Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute