For Prospective Affiliates

The Host affiliation is a best practices and quality improvement program offered to community hospitals in the United States.  The program is based on the premise that, with the support of our affiliation, the great majority of cancer patients can and should be treated within their own community setting. The program offers community hospitals and their associated oncology physician staff access to UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center clinical intellectual property for the purpose of examining and improving the quality of cancer care provided by them. Qualified Host Affiliate hospitals are JCAHO and ACOS accredited and have an organized cancer program including medical, radiation, and surgical oncology as well as appropriate diagnostic capabilities.

The Host affiliation process is one of adopting UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center best practices for cancer care and the utilization of a robust data driven quality improvement process. Additionally, it includes in-depth clinical due diligence in analyzing an affiliate’s cancer capabilities and practices, the credentialing of qualified oncology physicians into the M. D. Anderson Physicians Network, and an agreement by both physicians and hospital to utilize the M. D. Anderson evidence-based clinical care guidelines for cancer care. The initial affiliation is for a term of three years and during the first year a comprehensive study (Concordance and Quality Indicators Assessment Study) is performed to determine the degree to which the practice of oncology in the hospital and clinics adheres to guidelines and other quality indicators and best practice benchmarks in the four major cancer disease sites. The results are provided to the Host Affiliate's Cancer Committee which has the responsibility for developing and monitoring the cancer quality improvement program. A minimum of three in-depth studies are performed during the term of the affiliation and the Host Cancer Committee reports the activities and accomplishments of their quality initiatives to the M. D. Anderson Physicians Network Quality Management Committee on an annual basis. Additionally, to assist in this process, an M. D. Anderson faculty physician is assigned as an advocate to work with the Host Cancer Committee and he/she along with the appropriate Physician Network staff will visit the Host Program on an annual basis. Host credentialed oncology physicians are also offered bi-monthly multidisciplinary teleconferences with M. D. Anderson faculty to review cases and to demonstrate and encourage the use of multidisciplinary treatment planning. If desired, direct discussion between Host physicians and M. D. Anderson faculty members relating to specific patient issues can be facilitated by the Host advocate physician. In addition, professionals in a variety of fields can visit M. D. Anderson for specifically arranged educational programs lasting from one to several days. Visits to the Host site by M. D. Anderson faculty for addressing specific topics can be arranged as requested.

Host Affiliates are allowed selective use of the M. D. Anderson Physicians Network Mark for marketing the affiliation. 

For inquiries, call or e-mail Brigid Pace at 713-745-9611 or bpace@mdanderson.org