UK HealthCare, Lexington Clinic finalize agreement for cancer care

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — UK HealthCare and Lexington Clinic have finalized an agreement that they say will enhance and expand outpatient cancer care throughout Central Kentucky.

Under the new collaboration, UK Markey Cancer Center at Lexington Clinic will include medical oncology and infusion services currently provided in Lexington; the radiation therapy services and the medical oncology and infusion services in Richmond will also be delivered in coordination with the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. UK HealthCare is the clinical enterprise for the university. The collaboration will begin June 24.

Founded in 1920, Lexington Clinic is a community-focused provider and the largest independent multi-specialty group in Kentucky with more than 200 providers in 30 different specialties. The group sees more than 1,000 new cancer patients every year.

UK HealthCare is focused on bolstering its outpatient services in critical clinical areas such as cancer. The new relationship with Lexington Clinic will, among other things, expand the number of patients who could participate in clinical trials, crucial to the development of new drugs and therapies at the UK Markey Cancer Center, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated program. It also creates opportunities to boost UK’s tripartite mission of excellence in research, education and clinical care within the Bluegrass.