In early October, it was announced that University of Iowa Health Care and Mission Cancer + Blood would join forces to fight cancer in Iowa. In the weeks following the announcement, a number of teams have been working to prepare the two organizations to come together by the end of the year.
We asked Brad Haws, MBA, chief executive officer of the clinical enterprise and associate vice president of University of Iowa Health Care, to give us an update on progress.
UI Health Care teams have been visiting Mission locations to gain a deeper understanding of day-to-day operations and workflows. Our goal is to have a minimal impact on Mission’s operations during this transition and, most importantly, maintain the high quality of care patients receive. We continue to be impressed by the Mission team’s dedication to patient care and their ability to help patients receive the care they need quickly, efficiently, and close to home.
One key component of the transition is preparing to welcome all of Mission’s physicians and staff. We are committed to providing long-term, stable employment and meaningful engagement for all Mission team members, which is crucial to the lasting success of this collaboration.
All physicians and staff members received offer letters in mid-November. We are pleased that nearly all offers were accepted.
One of the many reasons UI Health Care and Mission chose to join forces is that we share the same vision of delivering world-class care close to home for Iowans, by Iowans. So, while there is still tactical work to do to join forces, we are operating with the same overall guiding principles.
An integration team with representatives from both UI Health Care and Mission are meeting weekly to work out the day-to-day fundamentals and ensure that Day 1 and beyond are smooth for patients, physicians, and staff. Individual workstreams for different functional areas (such as human resources, information technology, finance, clinical trials, and more) have been meeting regularly to collaborate and share information.
One of Mission’s many strengths is the strong relationships it has built with physicians and providers across central and western Iowa.
We have received questions from partners on whether the agreement will change how they work with Mission. The answer is ‘no.’ We value these relationships and will continue working collaboratively with colleagues across the state to care for patients. We recognize collaboration is essential to provide patients with coordinated care for better outcomes.
We are working closely with Mission to preserve the relationships they have built with physicians and health systems in the communities they serve.
All plans are on track and the official “Day 1” is still targeted for Dec. 31, 2024. With the transition happening over the holidays, we are planning to hold a more formal integration celebration later, though we will welcome Mission staff in various ways during the first week we officially join forces.
Patients will see very few changes after the initial transition. Mission’s providers and employees will continue their commitment to providing a high-quality and caring environment, and their day-to-day work caring for patients will not change much, if at all.
Patients will receive a letter explaining the relationship between Mission and UI Health Care and highlighting the benefits of the two organizations joining forces to fight cancer in Iowa.
There will be a slight change to some of the Mission branding starting in January that reflects the UI Health Care name in addition to Mission Cancer + Blood’s logo and name.
We are incredibly excited about UI Health Care and Mission Cancer + Blood coming together to leverage both organizations’ strengths and better serve the needs of Iowans. Likewise, we have heard excitement from Mission team members about the benefits that come with backing from an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, particularly the wider portfolio of clinical trials they can offer to patients.
Both organizations have a clear goal in mind: increase access to the highest quality cancer care closer to home for all Iowans. Iowa has one of the fastest growing cancer rates in the country and it’s going to take all of us working collaboratively to support the needs of cancer patients, as well as to find new, innovative ways to study, prevent, fight and cure cancer in Iowa.
We are stronger together. Once we complete the transition, Mission’s community clinic locations across Iowa will be able to tap into University of Iowa Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center’s resources. By joining forces, more patients will be able to access comprehensive services, shorten the time between diagnosis and treatment for rare and difficult cancers, and expand options for the latest therapies offered as part of clinical trials.