UAMS, Highlands Oncology Group Announce Collaboration

A collaboration announced Wednesday between the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock and Highlands Oncology Group in Northwest Arkansas will advance research in Arkansas and give greater access to care.

The collaboration will allow the institute and HOG, located in Fayetteville and Rogers, to work together to provide high-quality care for Arkansas patients and families living with cancer while remaining close to home. 

“Highlands is committed to improving cancer care in Arkansas, and the best way is through a partnership with the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute” Thad Beck, medical director of Highlands’ research program, said in a news release. “We are proud to unite efforts with an organization equally committed to their own mission to end cancer.”

Patients at Highlands will now have a more expedited process for enrolling in research clinical trials offered concurrently through HOG and the Rockefeller Institute, giving them access to new and innovative treatment options unavailable at other cancer centers.

Clinical trials are an important area of research in which patients work with doctors to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

The Rockefeller Institute offers about 200 clinical trials to patients who qualify for participation. 

“This affiliation is vitally important for the future of cancer research and treatment in Arkansas. By working together to improve the health of Arkansans, our programs can continue to develop and expand for many years to come,” Peter Emanuel, director of the Rockefeller Institute, said in the release. 

Patients at Highlands also will benefit from the use of telemedicine, in which their physicians consult in real-time with their counterparts at UAMS via video conferencing. This use of technology will give patients in northwest Arkansas the expertise of UAMS specialists without requiring them to travel to Little Rock.