As part of the new collaboration, MD Anderson will exclusively provide oncology-related infusion therapy, radiation therapy and gynecologic oncology, hematology oncology and medical oncology care.
For other cancer services, such as screening, diagnostics and surgical oncology, new and existing patients will have a choice as to which organization will be primarily responsible for their care. For other non-oncology care, such as primary and specialty care, patients will have the choice of UTMB.
There will be no interruption in care for existing UTMB cancer patients.
Both institutions have been working together for several months to ensure a smooth transition for patients receiving cancer care, whatever their medical needs.
Cancer patients receiving cancer care on the League City Campus who would like to continue receiving those services at this location will be given the option to become an MD Anderson patient, if their insurance approves. This will be a smooth transition for patients because their UTMB physician will also be credentialed as an MD Anderson physician, so patients will not have to change doctors, unless they so choose. Patients will receive a separate bill from MD Anderson for their cancer services on the League City Campus. If a patient should require hospitalization under MD Anderson’s care, the patient and their loved ones will work directly with their care team to determine whether they will be admitted to a UTMB or MD Anderson hospital, depending on which is the best option for their care needs.
The choice is still yours.
Some patients may prefer to remain exclusively a UTMB patient, or MD Anderson may not accept their specific insurance plan (MD Anderson does not have all of the same managed care contracts as UTMB). UTMB will work with these individuals to ensure they are able to continue receiving the comprehensive care they need within the UTMB Health System. Most of the same cancer doctors who cared for these patients at our League City location will also care for these individuals on the Galveston Campus, so patients will not have to switch to a new physician. These patients will continue to receive a single bill from UTMB for all of their care.
You may see some familiar faces as MD Anderson employees.
Another aspect of UTMB’s collaboration with MD Anderson is that UTMB staff who provided certain cancer care services will transition to become MD Anderson employees—they will provide these services at UTMB just as they did prior to the launch of the collaboration, and they may wear both an MD Anderson badge and a UTMB contract badge.
Your medical records will follow you.
Patients’ medical records will be available to both UTMB Health and MD Anderson clinicians and staff. Initially, this will been done using Epic’s Care Everywhere system, which allows doctors and nurses from different organizations to electronically exchange patient medical information in a matter of seconds.
We greatly appreciate the trust our patients have placed in us!
UTMB Health and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center look forward to working together to serve our patients’ health care needs in the future.