The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced today its first-ever partnership renewal with Banner Health, which created Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2011. The renewed agreement extends the relationship for an additional 10 years.
Banner MD Anderson is a comprehensive and clinically integrated cancer care program and was the first partner to join MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a global network of hospitals and health care systems dedicated to the institution's mission to end cancer worldwide. The collaboration combines Banner Health's large, nonprofit health care system with MD Anderson's world-renowned expertise in clinical cancer care, research, education and prevention to treat patients across Arizona and Northern Colorado.
"I am proud to celebrate Banner MD Anderson's 10-year anniversary, its growth and accomplishments in clinical cancer care and research, and our bright future ahead," said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. "This partnership proves the value and importance of expanding our multidisciplinary expertise beyond Houston through our cancer network, allowing greater impact for more patients affected by cancer around the nation and world."
Banner MD Anderson first opened its state-of-the-art cancer center in September 2011 on the Banner Gateway Medical Center campus in Gilbert, Arizona. Modeled after MD Anderson's outpatient clinics, the center utilizes multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care around medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgery, pathology, diagnostic imaging and other supportive clinical services. An expansion project underway at Banner Gateway Medical Center is adding a 208,500-square-foot patient tower that will nearly double the size of the hospital to accommodate the growing cancer program.
"This partnership provides patients with access to leading-edge clinical trials, a compassionate and expert team of disease-specific oncologists, and multiple facilities that offer exceptional care," said Peter Fine, CEO of Banner Health. "Witnessing the incredible growth of Banner MD Anderson over the past 10 years has been particularly gratifying for me and a major point of pride for all of Banner. We're thrilled to renew and extend this partnership, which will allow us to continue to offer our expertise as a destination cancer center."
Banner MD Anderson has expanded to a total of nine locations across Arizona and Northern Colorado since its inception, increasing the number of participating physicians from 20 in 2011 to more than 140 in 2022 and adding more than 100 advanced practice providers. Its programs have treated more than 131,000 patients in Arizona and over 20,000 in Colorado, representing more than 1 million patient visits to its facilities. Banner MD Anderson's Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, established in 2013, has performed over 500 autologous and allogeneic transplants and treated hundreds of patients with CAR-T therapy.
Banner MD Anderson currently runs over 120 clinical trials, including 20 in collaboration with MD Anderson researchers. A new Phase 1 Clinical Research and Infusion Unit opening in Arizona in February will advance efforts to accrue diverse patient populations, expand data collection and gain more scientific insights on novel treatments.
"When this relationship was established in 2011, we knew it was the beginning of an exciting and innovative new era of unprecedented cancer care in Arizona," said Michael E. Kupferman, M.D., senior vice president of Clinical and Academic Network Development and professor of Head and Neck Surgery at MD Anderson. "Since then, Banner MD Anderson has experienced remarkable growth and far exceeded our expectations. I am excited to continue the incredible work underway as we collectively advance our efforts toward improving outcomes for cancer patients in Arizona and Colorado."
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