Four U.S. Healthcare Systems join Guardian Research Network

The Guardian Research Network (GRN) is rapidly expanding with the addition of four partner healthcare systems including Baptist Health (Kentucky), Bon Secours Health System, Mercy and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, encompassing 76 hospitals in nine states.

Guardian Research Network is a national consortium of healthcare organizations that uses a sophisticated, unparalleled data collection and warehousing system to gather information on hundreds of thousands of patients. This data is evaluated with the most advanced healthcare research and analytic methods that result in bringing cutting-edge therapies specifically targeted to each patient’s cancer. Patients whose hospitals are participating with GRN will now have access to leading cancer treatment therapies close to home.

“Baptist Health is excited about the opportunity to be a member of the Guardian Research Network (GRN). Participation in GRN offers Baptist cancer patients a personalized approach to the care and treatment of their disease in their own communities,” said Timothy Jahn, MD, Chief Clinical Officer of Baptist Health.

GRN offers the most comprehensive system that follows strict HIPAA regulations to search and rapidly identify patients who are eligible for clinical trials. This is made possible with GRN’s unique ability to aggregate clinical, molecular and imaging data from Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems throughout the nation. This rapid patient-to-trial identification process will significantly reduce the time it takes to enroll a patient in the most advanced clinical trials available.

“The future of cancer care lands squarely in the field of genomic testing of tumor material to predict tumor behavior and to develop specifically targeted therapies. The Guardian Research Network is a unique approach to developing the massive data sets necessary for such research, and brings cutting-edge treatment research options to patients in community health centers. This type of ‘bringing-the-new-treatment-to-the-patients’ has never been possible before,” said Fred G. McQueary, MD, Chief Clinical Officer of Mercy.

“Bon Secours is excited to be a part of Guardian Research Network and to harness the power of collaboration and information technology to bring innovative cancer treatments to our patients, right where they live,” said Bon Secours Health System’s Mark Nantz, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Strategic Initiatives.

By 2020, the GRN will encompass one million actionable patients with full clinical, imaging, laboratory and significant molecular profiles.

“From the early mapping of the human genome to the progressive understanding of cellular pathways to genetic markers and beyond, science continues to deliver new and targeted therapies. Researchers and the care delivery teams on the front lines will require a next-generation clinical trials system that revolutionizes and advances this new age of precision medicine. Our collective efforts and investments in the Guardian Research Network give us a distinct advantage to face the medical challenges of the future,” said Bruce Holstien, Chief Executive Officer of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

The Guardian Research Network continues to invite community health systems to join this rapidly expanding consortium. For more information on partnership with Guardian Research Network, please visit guardianresearch.org or call 864-560-1059.

For media relations inquiries, please contact Maria Williamson at 864-560-6425.

Baptist Health

Founded in 1924 in Louisville, Kentucky, Baptist Health is a full-spectrum health system dedicated to improving the health of the communities it serves. The Baptist Health family consists of eight hospitals (seven owned and one managed); employed and independent physicians; more than 170 outpatient facilities, physician practices and services, including urgent care and retail-based clinics; outpatient diagnostic and surgery centers; home care; occupational medicine and physical therapy clinics; and fitness centers. Its subsidiary, Baptist Health Plan, provides health insurance, managed care services and administrative services to employers, employees and their dependents, serving members in Kentucky and surrounding states. Baptist Health’s seven owned hospitals include more than 2,100 licensed beds in Corbin, La Grange, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Paducah and Richmond. Baptist Health manages Hardin Memorial Hospital, a 300-bed hospital in Elizabethtown. Baptist’s physician network includes more than 450 employed physicians and more than 1,600 independent physicians. It employs more than 16,000 people in Kentucky and surrounding states.

Bon Secours Health System

Bon Secours Health System, Inc. based in Marriottsville, Maryland, is a $3.5 billion not-for-profit Catholic health system that owns, manages or joint ventures 19 acute care hospitals, 5 long term care facilities, 4 assisted living facilities, 6 retirement communities/senior housing facilities, 14 home care and hospice services, and other facilities and services, primarily on the East Coast. Bon Secours Health System consists of more than 24,000 caregivers helping people in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, South Carolina, and Virginia. Its vision is to be a prophetic Catholic health ministry partnering with communities to create a more humane world, build health and social justice, and provide exceptional value for those served.

Mercy

Mercy is the seventh largest Catholic health care system in the U.S., which serves millions annually. Mercy includes 46 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS) offers a full spectrum of services through four hospitals: Spartanburg Medical Center, Pelham Medical Center, Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care and Union Medical Center. SRHS also includes Ellen Sagar Nursing Center, 113-bed long-term care, skilled nursing facility that offers nursing care and rehabilitation services. SRHS provides unparalleled oncological care through the Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute. The multidisciplinary Medical Group of the Carolinas has more than 300 physicians across seven counties in two states. SRHS employs nearly 6,000 associates and offers outpatient surgery centers, a vibrant post-acute division, a Level I Trauma Center, and Advicare, a licensed Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Advicare provides Medicaid services to residents throughout the state of South Carolina. U.S. News and World Report ranked Spartanburg Medical Center the No. 1 regional hospital in South Carolina in 2014-15. The Commission on Cancer gave Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute its Outstanding Achievement Award.