ELEKTA AND THE OTTAWA HOSPITAL FORGE LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

Among the largest Canadian cancer centres, TOHCC has undergone extraordinary growth in its cancer management capacity over the last decade, and steadily has increased its complement of Elekta radiation treatment systems during that period. Its latest expansion to a new site at Queensway Carleton Hospital presented the hospital with an opportunity to evolve into a national/North American leader with global potential. “We needed to identify a provider with whom we could partner for long-term sustainability and future innovation in radiation therapy,” said Greg Doiron, TOHCC Clinical Director. “We determined Elekta was best positioned to move us into our next development phase and help us achieve our long-term objectives, in addition to our short-term need, which is improving patients’ access to healthcare.” Advanced technologyUnder the partnership agreement, The Ottawa Hospital will acquire four Elekta Synergy® treatment systems, two to be sited at The Ottawa Hospital’s General Campus and two to be operated at Queensway Carleton Hospital site, when the cancer program starts in late 2009. “Our goal is to use the Elekta Synergy systems to perform advanced methods, such as Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) as soon as possible in appropriate cases,” Doiron said. The Cancer Centre also will acquire MOSAIQ® software solutions. MOSAIQ RO will manage radiation therapy simulation, planning, setup, verification, delivery, review and analysis. Integrated with MOSAIQ RO is the MOSAIQ image-enabled electronic medical record (EMR), which supports the cancer care team by uniting diverse systems and devices. These products will form the complete information technology infrastructure to streamline the TOHCC’s growing radiation oncology service. Ottawa harnesses STRATEGIQ™ consultative services The Ottawa Hospital’s substantial equipment acquisitions are fundamental to the partnership agreement, but they are not the linchpin to TOHCC’s success, Doiron said. To maximize TOHCC’s clinical and operational value, The Ottawa Hospital subjected their existing centre to an intensive process review and restructuring through STRATEGIQ™ consultative tools and services.Several Elekta representatives went to The Ottawa Hospital beginning in late 2008 and started the initial process review that carried on into early 2009. “They mapped our processes in detail,” he explained. “The analysis covered everything from patient referral to the cancer centre, the patients’ care and their discharge. Everything was documented in a process flow. This allowed Elekta staff to identify business and clinical practices that we could improve and also helped us prioritize what we needed to successfully launch and operate the Queensway Carleton site’s service.”TOHCC experience will spur Elekta technology developmentThe Elekta-TOHCC partnership agreement will provide Elekta with a wealth of clinical data on the performance and effectiveness of its technology, with the aim of using this experience and knowledge to make Elekta’s offerings more effective and efficient. “Combining our technological and clinical resources in The Ottawa Hospital-Elekta partnership agreement is far more than a business transaction,” said Gerry Hogue, Vice President and General Manager, Elekta Canada. “This agreement represents the formation of a major, collaborative strategic relationship that we predict will not only benefit the respective partners long into the future, but also will greatly increase access to and increase the quality of cancer management for thousands of patients.”