St. Bernards Healthcare announced today it has completed an
agreement with Clopton Clinic and The West Clinic to provide women in Northeast
Arkansas with gynecological cancers access to world-class treatment in
Jonesboro. Under the agreement, Todd D. Tillmanns,
MD, and Mark E. Reed, MD, gynecologic oncology specialists, will be on the
medical staff at St. Bernards and provide the latest cancer treatments to women
with gynecologic malignancies. Tillmanns will serve as lead surgeon.
“This agreement means that GYN
cancer patients will now have treatment options available to them right here in
Northeast Arkansas that rival services available anywhere in the U.S.,” says Chris
B. Barber, president and chief executive officer of St. Bernards Healthcare. “Our new partnership represents another needed healthcare
service that will be met locally by experienced and highly qualified surgeons.
“We are extremely pleased to bring
this specialized cancer care to patients throughout Northeast Arkansas. Drs.
Tillmanns and Reed are among the most respected specialists in their field, and
they bring invaluable experience currently not available outside major
metropolitan areas such as Memphis,” Barber continues.
Tillmanns, board certified in gynecologic oncology as well
as obstetrics and gynecology, has been with The West Clinic for seven years. In
February 2006, Tillmanns performed the first robotic-assisted hysterectomy and
paraaortic lymphadenectomy in the Mid-South using the da Vinci® Robotic
Surgical System. As a leader in robotic-assisted surgery, Tillmanns also
performed the first robotic surgery at Methodist University Hospital for
gynecologic cancer, and in 2010 performed the first robotic surgery at
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital. He is a strong proponent of the da
Vinci surgical system®, stressing that it gives physicians unparalleled
dexterity and unsurpassed control and vision, improving both patient
experiences and outcomes.
Tillmanns is the current president of the Memphis Robotic
Surgical Society and a founding member of the organization. He also serves as
an associate professor in the Department of OB/GYN, Division of Gynecologic
Oncology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, training the
next generation of gynecologists and minimally invasive surgery specialists. On
a national level, Tillmanns serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Guidelines Committee for Cervical and Endometrial Cancer, Society of Gynecologic
Oncologists 2012 Program Committee and the American Association of Gynecologic
Laparoscopists( AAGL) Oncology Committee, to name a few. He recently presented
research findings at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
international meeting in Chicago and is highly published in peer-reviewed
journals.
Reed has been on staff at The West
Clinic for more than a decade and is board certified in gynecologic oncology as
well as obstetrics and gynecology. He is also a founding member of the Memphis
Robotic Surgical Society and holds fellow status with the American College of
Surgeons. Dr. Reed is an assistant professor in the Department of OB/GYN,
Division of GYN Oncology, UT Health Science Center.
“The West Clinic is excited about our new partnership with
St. Bernards and Clopton Clinic,” said Erich Mounce, CEO, The West Clinic. “Our
physicians have served this market for years and treated many patients with
gynecologic cancers from this area. Our decision to bring gynecologic oncology
services further underscores our commitment to the patients and medical
community in the Jonesboro and surrounding areas. Drs. Tillmanns and Reed are
nationally respected gynecologic surgical oncologists and are looking forward
to working closer with St. Bernards and Clopton Clinic to offer patients the
best care for gynecologic cancers close to home.”
Physicians at St. Bernards have
been using the da Vinci® surgical system for more than three years.
“It will be great to have gynecological
oncology specialists in Jonesboro,” says Dr. Mazen Khalil, Clopton Clinic
oncologist. “It will provide an excellent service for women who are diagnosed
with malignancy, and it will mean that patients do not have to travel away from
home to have surgical gynecologic oncology care.
“This also allows St. Bernards to
expand its ability to provide the highest possible level of care for
gynecologic oncology patients through utilization of the da Vinci robotic
surgical system which already is in place at the medical center.
“Having gynecological oncology
services means that care available at St. Bernards will be comparable to care
provided at large cancer centers and university hospitals around the country,”
Khalil continues.
The West Clinic has been a premier
provider of cancer care in the Mid-South for more than 30 years and is widely
recognized for its breadth of expertise, dedication to excellence and
commitment to compassionate care.
In January, 2012, The West Clinic
formed a unique partnership with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, a
seven-hospital system based in Memphis, to create a comprehensive, fully
integrated cancer service to greatly benefit residents in this region. Another
move that speaks to the strength of The West Clinic cancer care program is that
the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has moved its Oncology
Fellowship Program to The West Clinic, with both The West Clinic and Methodist
Health System contributing a total of $35 million over the next seven years to
enhance cancer research, care programs and innovation.
Tillmanns and Reed will see
patients at Clopton Clinic, 300 Carson.
“This will take our GYN cancer
care to the next level,” Barber emphasizes. “And it will allow patients to
receive world class care without having to leave home.”
St. Bernards is a 438-bed acute
care medical center that has provided comprehensive care for residents of this
region for 112 years.