Ballad Health announces agreement with Varian for 10-year transformational oncology collaboration
Major capital investment by Ballad Health underscores health system’s commitment to expanding access to advanced technology to patients and regional healthcare professionals
Ballad Health is taking an unprecedented step forward in local cancer care, unveiling a new, 10-year capital investment and collaboration with Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company, to bring advanced oncology treatment services to patients in the Appalachian Highlands.
The agreement, part of a $260 million capital investment plan approved earlier this year by the Ballad Health Board of Directors, includes hardware, digital solutions and software and professional and clinical services for advanced oncology solutions, which will create a highly integrated digital network for Ballad Health patients and clinicians that accelerates and enhances the patient journey from screening to survivorship.
"A diagnosis of cancer is frightening to anyone who receives it,” said Ballad Health chairman and chief executive officer, Alan Levine. “Combined with our continuum of care for cancer treatment, this investment will allow Ballad Health and our providers to stand side by side with our patients and their families in their fight.”
The new, decade-long collaboration, one of the largest in Varian’s history, includes eight TrueBeam linear accelerators, which offer flexible, high-precision treatment options for a broad range of patient needs, and one Ethos adaptive radiotherapy system, which also incorporates artificial intelligence to prepare precise calculations for oncologists to review and quickly incorporate changes to patients’ treatment plans. The new technology will be delivered to six Ballad Health cancer centers in Tennessee and Virginia, along with a portfolio of products and services to support the health system’s unified oncology ecosystem.
“As part of Siemens Healthineers, Varian is committed to expanding access to world-class quality care, for everyone, everywhere,” said Arthur Kaindl, Head of Varian. “We’re excited to help Ballad Health implement advanced radiotherapy solutions and services, providing its care teams with the technology to deliver world-class care to its patients.”
The new equipment is underpinned with advanced digital tools that enable care teams across Ballad Health to deliver more personalized care by gaining deeper insight into patients’ medical needs and histories with Varian’s ARIA CORE oncology management solution – a cloud-based system that will provide a holistic view of patient information – and the Varian Executive Partnership program, which supports streamlined, consistent workflows and access to actionable data insights. The collaboration also entails upgrades to Varian’s Eclipse treatment planning platform, which will enable next-generation advanced planning to deliver more consistent and higher-quality treatment plans than versions currently in place.
"For almost 30 years, I have led the cancer program in Johnson City, and we have strived to be innovators and technology leaders in caring for our patients,” said Dr. Kyle Colvett, a radiation oncologist who provides care at the Ballad Health Cancer Center in Johnson City. “The agreement and capital investment announced today between Ballad Health and Varian renews that commitment to excellence in technology and in providing opportunities for patients throughout our region to have access to the best available treatments.
“Radiation is a critical component of modern cancer care and is largely responsible for improving rates of cancer cure. Our ability to adapt to rapidly evolving technology in the future will be bolstered by this agreement with Varian, the unquestioned world leader in radiation innovation.”
Varian has been working with facilities within Ballad Health for more than 25 years. Through the new agreement, Varian will also support a technology roadmap that enables Ballad Health to adapt to future technology advancements, including the flexibility to select different system configurations, installation dates and sites as market needs change. In addition to support for technology enablement, Varian will provide market analytics and gap analysis to support Ballad Health in making informed technology decisions, as well as Advanced Oncology Solutions (AOS) Professional Services to provide operational support and consulting services to best serve Ballad Health cancer patients, as well as professional services for medical physics and dosimetry, who will work hand in hand with Ballad Health cancer care team members.
“The core determinant of good cancer care will always be our dedicated and compassionate professionals. This project updates our ‘toolbox’ to continue to live out that promise,” Dr. Colvett said.
The transformational oncology announcement follows other recent capital announcements by the health system, including plans for a new emergency department at Johnson City Medical Center, the region’s Level 1 trauma center; increased capacity at Franklin Woods Community Hospital; and significant investments in Ballad Health’s facilities and operations in Wise County, Virginia. The projects are all envisioned and designed to bolster the health system’s full-service approach to healthcare, which reaches beyond its hospitals and into community and primary care settings.
“These investments by Ballad Health are exciting for all of us – not just the people who practice in these facilities,” said Dr. Amit Vashist, practicing physician and Ballad Health’s chief clinical officer. “The steps taken today benefit us all, as we work together to create a healthier community.
“Today’s announcement will be especially felt within our primary care settings. Primary care clinicians work so closely with patients with their preventive care and screenings, and we have so much faith in our Ballad Health cancer teams during our shared patients’ cancer journeys. It’s fitting that we’re making this announcement on the cusp of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This serves as an important reminder for routine mammograms beginning at age 40, which are proven to save lives by detecting cancer in earlier, more treatable stages. No matter our roles and specialties, we’re all unified in our approach to helping people fight cancer and live out longer, healthier lives.”
