2024 MCCAN Annual Report
CONNECTING CARE.
TRANSFORMING LIVES.
New places, new faces, new opportunities – what an exciting time to be a member of the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network.
The Lexington VA Health Care System, the newest member of MCCAN, is in central Kentucky but its population is not bound by the traditional service county lines. Veterans who rely upon the VA for healthcare are located throughout the state and deserve the same high-quality cancer care that has become a hallmark for MCCAN. Our teams are fully engaged in providing the Lexington VA with opportunities for professional education, access to our nurse liaison program, and support to achieve Commission on Cancer accreditation. And as part of MCCAN, the Lexington VA has ample opportunity to collaborate with 19 other cancer programs located in communities where their patients live. We welcome the new faces of veterans and cancer care professionals to our network.
One of Markey’s commitments to our MCCAN sites is to provide the complex care of an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center when needed. During its 40+ year history, the Markey Cancer Center has added and redistributed services across the medical campus to accommodate an ever-growing need for space. In 2024, the dream of having a full spectrum of oncology services under one roof became a reality with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new UK Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building. This new home for Markey will be a world-class facility, providing exceptional cancer care and lifesaving research for the Commonwealth. With over 555,000 square feet, nine floors, and an adjacent 2400-space parking structure, patients and caregivers will have access to a full range of cancer services in one building. We will keep our MCCAN sites updated on progress and look forward to celebrating our new facility with you in 2028.
Our annual MCCAN Cancer Care Conference is always packed with lots of new information and opportunities to collaborate with others in the network. Among the presentations and workshops in 2024 were topics on artificial intelligence, cardio-oncology, bispecifics, genetic testing, and best practices for marketing your cancer program. If you’ve never attended, mark your calendar for December 11-12, 2025, and join your colleagues across the state for a great event. Come for the education, stay for the therapy dogs to wish you safe travels home.
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| Timothy Wm. Mullett, MD, MBA, FACS MCCAN Medical Director |
Cheri Tolle, MAEd, CHES MCCAN Administrative Director |
"Together, we make it possible for Kentuckians to remain in state, closer to home, for cancer care."
MARKEY CANCER CENTER AFFILIATE NETWORK
2024 ANNUAL REPORT
IN THIS ISSUE
• Annual Report Articles
• MCCAN Locations
• By the Numbers
• 2024 Top 10 Highlights
ANNUAL REPORT ARTICLES
When Organizations Join Forces
Lexington VA & MCCAN Unite with Focus on Better Cancer Care for Veterans
It was early summer in 2023 when healthcare professionals from two large organizations gathered to discuss how they could work together to provide better cancer care for Kentucky’s military veterans. There were the usual connections you’d expect among physicians, surgeons, researchers and hospital administrators, yet as the group looked around the room, they ...
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Living with and Beyond Cancer
Survivor Programs Essential to a High Quality of Life
Fatigue. Depression. Anxiety. Brain fog. Congratulations, you’re one of the 19 million cancer survivors in the U.S. — a number expected to jump to 26 million by 2040, reports a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Hope and Progress
When Patients and Clinical Trials Connect
When Glasgow, Ky., resident Debra Kantosky got a diagnosis of lung cancer in December of 2023, she was told that if she quit smoking, she’d have a better chance of a good outcome. “But when you’ve smoked for 52 years, you really have to wrestle with yourself whether it’s something you want to do and can do,” she said.
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Partners in Progress
Rural Cancer Care gets Boost with New Center
Jouella Perkins is, unfortunately, particularly well-qualified to judge the oncology services at Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital. She first became a patient in 2012 when she was diagnosed with smoldering multiple myeloma, which progressed to full-blown multiple myeloma in 2016.
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When Organizations Join Forces
Lexington VA & MCCAN Unite with Focus on Better Cancer Care for Veterans
It was early summer in 2023 when healthcare professionals from two large organizations gathered to discuss how they could work together to provide better cancer care for Kentucky’s military veterans. There were the usual connections you’d expect among physicians, surgeons, researchers and hospital administrators, yet as the group looked around the room, they ...
CARING FOR
OUR COMMONWEALTH
MARKEY CANCER CENTER AFFILIATE NETWORK
The Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network is committed to serving the needs of Kentuckians and those beyond our borders. Our team is proud to collaborate with MCCAN sites that strive for excellence in clinical service and community outreach. Together, we make it possible for Kentuckians to remain in state, closer to home, for cancer care.
BY THE
NUMBERS
FAST FACTS
20
Current Members
19 current members are accredited by
American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).
10
Members in Appalachia
IMPACT
In 2024, the Markey Cancer Center was ranked among the top 50 cancer centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for a record eight years in a row.
NURSE LIAISON PROGRAM
1,741
Total Encounters
732
TOTAL Referrals
291
Non-Referral Requests
9.1
Average Days Referral
to Appointment
Download the MCCAN Annual Report for additional statistics and information.
