Empire Health Services, which owns and operates Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital & Medical Center, has contracted with Cancer Care Northwest PS, a physician-owned enterprise here, to provide radiation-oncology services in Deaconess.


Thomas Zellers, Deaconess chief operating officer, says other service agreements between Empire Health and Cancer Care Northwest could be forthcoming, although he declines for now to provide details about those agreements.


The service agreement the two parties already have signed, which went into effect last month, followed several prior failed attempts between Cancer Care Northwest and Spokane-area hospitals to integrate services.


There was a big effort made on the part of the many entities that were involved in those conversations, but ultimately that effort failed, says Dr. Bruce Cutter, a medical oncologist and president of Cancer Care Northwest. Its hard to say why they failed, but I think there were just too many entities involved with too many different interests. We just couldnt come together.


Zellers says the most recent talks between Empire Health and Cancer Care Northwest to develop the current service agreement proceeded quickly because of the common goal that the two entities shared.


Its like what Dr. Cutter says, Together we can do better, Zellers says. Thats our goalto do better, and we believe that the closer the hospitals are aligned with physicians, the better the care to our patients will be.


In addition to improved quality of care and access to care for patients, the service agreement also is expected to lower Cancer Care Northwests and Deaconess cost of delivering care by eliminating duplications in service, Zellers says.


Under the agreement, Cancer Care Northwest will provide physicians for Deaconess radiation-oncology department, which is equipped with a linear acceleratora piece of equipment thats vital to delivering radiation therapy. Patients will be able to receive radiation therapy at Deaconess or at either of Cancer Care Northwests treatment centers, which are located at 610 S. Sherman on Spokanes South Hill and at 609 E. Holland, behind the Northpointe Plaza shopping center just north of the city of Spokane. Such therapy isnt available at Empire Healths Valley Hospital because it isnt currently equipped with a linear accelerator, Zellers says.


Cutter says Cancer Care Northwest isnt currently working on a separate agreement with any of Spokanes other hospitals, although it would be open to such conversations.