It's going to take all of us
When I joined Mission Cancer + Blood in 2015, it felt like my career path and my personal values were aligning in a new way. Mission’s vision of comprehensive and world-class cancer care delivered close to home with compassion and personalized treatment plans was a philosophy that I immediately embraced. I was motivated by the opportunity to be a part of the solution. The care teams at Mission are led by the oncologist, and exactly how I would want care to be delivered to me or my loved ones.
Life is irony, and one year later, I would receive my own cancer diagnosis. I will never forget the fear and anxiety after feeling the lump and the gut-wrenching emotions that followed. It was through that experience that I witnessed first-hand the delivery of the Mission promise, and the true collaboration that happens between Mission and our important referral partners. Now, nearly ten years later, I remember each doctor, each office, and the seamless coordination among the teams who were all dedicated to my care.
My journey started off with a visit to an oncologist which led me to get an ultrasound at The Iowa Clinic, followed by a pathology report from UnityPoint. I went on to have surgery at UnityPoint performed by my incredible surgeon from The Iowa Clinic. During the process, I also had a visit with an amazing radiation oncologist at UnityPoint and eventually received radioactive iodine therapy at MercyOne. The experts in each discipline collaborated every step of the way. I never felt out of the loop. The commitment felt personal to me as a patient, with experts in each organization working in unison.
These referral partner organizations remain critical to the treatment of cancer care for Iowans, by Iowans. Together, we are committed to providing world-class cancer care and our latest announcement only strengthens that commitment.
On Monday, October 7, we shared with our employees, referral partners, outreach clinics, patients, and the community that Mission Cancer + Blood will become a part of University of Iowa Health Care. The following day, the Iowa Board of Regents approved the purchase, and we are working toward finalization of the acquisition.
There were three key factors in our decision.
1. Team Members, Patients & Partners: Whatever direction we took, there were three non-negotiable elements — our teams, our physician-led, patient-centered cancer care provided close to home, and our collaboration with trusted referral partners.
2. Focus on Care: The health care landscape is challenging; that is a true statement whether you are a patient, provider or somewhere in between. There are myriad issues to be addressed — pharmaceutical pricing, insurance, workforce shortages, legislative issues — the list goes on. We knew we needed to expand our bandwidth to be able to focus on what we do best — helping our patients navigate their diagnosis, with advanced cancer care, in a comfortable environment close to home.
3. Grow Capacity to Serve More Iowans: Iowa has the second highest and fastest growing cancer rate in the United States. In 2024, 21,000 Iowans will receive a cancer diagnosis, and 6,100 Iowans will lose their lives to cancer, according to the Iowa Cancer Consortium 2023 Annual Report. Despite Mission being one of the largest providers of cancer treatment with a network of 22 locations in communities across the state, there are communities with significant needs and Iowa’s need to improve access to care has never been more critical. To improve access, we needed to scale our operation.
Within the UI Health Care system, Mission Cancer + Blood will operate as a separate entity, collaborating and delivering physician-led care, just as we always have. Our current patients will continue to have access to care at existing Mission locations. Together with our referral partners, we will continue our work to provide expanded access to clinical trials, shorten the time between diagnosis and treatment especially for rare and difficult cancers, and expand options for the latest therapies.
Addressing a statewide health care crisis like Iowa’s rising cancer rates is going to take all of us. Joining forces with UI Health Care will allow us to significantly improve access throughout the state while we continue to build our relationships with trusted referral partners. Our focus on providing world-class care, in concert with our partners, close to home, has never been more important and it will not change.
In summary, we are not going anywhere. We are preparing for the future now by building capacity and strengthening the network of excellent cancer care from our own doctors and partners to serve Iowans. And we will continue to do that for years to come — it is our Mission.