Upmc-St Clair Hospital Cancer Center

UPMC/ST CLAIR HOSPITAL CANCER CENTER PROVIDES CLINCIAL ONCOLOGY SERVICES TO (CON'T. ON SCH. O) PATIENTS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE SURROUNDING TRI-STATE AREA.

UPMC/ST. CLAIR HOSPITAL CANCER CENTER (ST. CLAIR) IS ORGANIZED AND OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, AND EDUCATION PURPOSES WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. ST. CLAIR HAS FOUR PRIMARY ACTIVITIES: (1) TO PROVIDE CLINICAL ONCOLOGY-RELATED CARE AND OTHER HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY, (2) TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, (3) TO PROVIDE MEDICAL TRAINING TO INTERNS/RESIDENTS, AND (4) TO CONDUCT BOTH CLINICAL RESEARCH WITH PROTOCOLS IN THE AREA OF ONCOLOGY TREATMENTS AND SELF-FUNDED CLINICAL RESEARCH.ST. CLAIR IS ORGANIZED WITH THE FOLLOWING MISSION: TO PROVIDE AN OPTIMAL LEVEL OF CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS THAT IS COMPETENT, COMPASSIONATE, CONSISTENT, AND COST EFFECTIVE WHICH (CON'T. ON SCH. O) IS DELIVERED ON A CONTINUUM RANGING FROM PREVENTION, TO EARLY DETECTION, INCLUDING FREE SCREENINGS, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND LONG-TERM CARE.ST. CLAIR WAS ORGANIZED AS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH CANCER INSTITUTE CANCER SERVICES (UPMC CANCER CENTERS) AND ST. CLAIR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, EACH HAVING A 50% MEMBERSHIP INTEREST. BOTH ARE ORGANIZATIONS EXEMPT FROM FEDERAL INCOME TAXES UNDER SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, ARE PENNSYLVANIA NONPROFIT ENTITIES AND ARE DESIGNATED PENNSYLVANIA INSTITUTES OF PURE PUBLIC CHARITY. UPMC/ST. CLAIR HOSPITAL CANCER CENTER PROVIDES ONLY THE PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL ONCOLOGY SERVICES. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, ST. CLAIR PERFORMED APPROXIMATELY 7,202 RADIATION TREATMENTS. OF THOSE RADIATION TREATMENTS, 4,201 WERE IMRT (INTENSE MODULATED RADIATION THERAPY). ADDITIONALLY, IN JUNE 2021, ST. CLAIR BEGAN TREATMENTS USING ITS NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART STEROTACTIC BODY RADIOTHERAPY MACHINE (SBRT). ST. CLAIR HAS ADOPTED A CHARITY CARE POLICY TO ENSURE THAT ALL PATIENTS ARE TREATED REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY. FREE OR DISCOUNTED CARE TO PATIENTS WHO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA AS OUTLINED IN THE ST. CLAIR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND CHARITY CARE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED. IN ADDITION TO ITS RESEARCH AND TREATMENTS PROGRAMS, ST. CLAIR OFFERS A BROAD RANGE OF EDUCATION SERVICES FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. ST. CLAIR CONDUCTS A VARIETY OF CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS FOR PRACTICING PHYSICIANS, NURSES, AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS INDUCING CORE COURSES ON CANCER TREATMENT AND SUPPORTIVE CARE. THESE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, FREE OF CHARGE. CANCER EDUCATION HAS ALSO COORDINATED A UPMC SYSTEM-WIDE PATIENT EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR ST. CLAIR PATIENTS AND FAMILIES AND MAINTAINS A COMPUTERIZED DATABASE OF AVAILABLE CANCER-RELATED PATIENT EDUCATION RESOURCES. OTHER TYPES OF PATIENT/FAMILY SERVICES AVAILABLE INCLUDE A COLLECTION OF BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, ARTICLES, NEWSLETTERS, AUDIOTAPES, VIDEOTAPES AND CD'S THAT CAN BE USED TO REINFORCE AND SUPPLEMENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO PATIENTS/FAMILIES BY THE HEALTH CARE TEAM.IN ADDITION TO GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CANCER AND CANCER TREATMENT, RESOURCES ARE ALSO PROVIDED TO PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ON A VARIETY OF OTHER TOPICS. THESE TOPICS INCLUDE: STRESS MANAGEMENT, CHILD AND FAMILY CONCERNS, NUTRITION, PERSONAL APPEARANCE, AND GRIEF MANAGEMENT.MEDICAL TRAINING TO INTERNS AND RESIDENTS - ST. CLAIR SUPPORTS THE ACADEMIC MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. THIS INCLUDES SUPPORT FOR THE UNIVERSITY'S PARTICIPATION IN THE BASIC SCIENCE RESEARCH AND GRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL EDUCATION. ST. CLAIR PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN RECRUITING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN CANCER RESEARCH AND/OR CANCER CARE. SUCH INDIVIDUALS SERVE AS A UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FACULTY AND/OR PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO MEDICAL STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS. THROUGH ITS ENHANCED CLINICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM, OPPORTUNITIES ARE CREATED FOR PHYSICIANS/RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN CLINICAL RESEARCH IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN THE AREA OF ONCOLOGY. CLINICAL RESEARCH - THE MAJORITY OF THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN THE AREA OF CLINICAL RESEARCH IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH CLINICAL PROTOCOLS THAT STUDY THE EFFECT OF CANCER TREATMENTS, SUCH AS SURGERY, RADIATION THERAPY, CHEMOTHERAPY, AND BIOLOGICAL THERAPY. THESE CLINICAL PROTOCOLS HELP HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TEST NEW APPROACHES TO THE DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION OF CANCER. THE RESULTS OF THESE PROTOCOLS ARE GENERALLY SHARED WITH OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND/OR THE GENERAL PUBLIC SO THAT THE FINDINGS CAN BE USED TO HELP TREAT OTHERS WITH CANCER.