Partnering With Nebraska Medicine to Bring Additional Specialized Oncology Services to Siouxland
To bring additional specialized oncology services to patients here in Siouxland – saving the cost and time of traveling out of town, the June E. Nylen Cancer Center has developed a partnership with Nebraska Medicine.
This partnership continues to expand, but there are currently a few programs in progress:
EConsult Program
An eConsult Program lets your June E. Nylen Cancer Center oncologists electronically collaborate and consult with specialists throughout Nebraska Medicine (UNMC) as a second opinion in developing a care plan just for you, solidifying your confidence in the plan. Our physicians may recommend some patients for this eConsult Program, but any patient can also ask about it.
An eConsult is thought of as a separate medical visit and, as such, there can be a fee for this visit. Most major insurers cover the cost of eConsults (or second opinions); however, for those not covered by insurance, there will be a charge to ask for the consult and to cover the expense of the Nebraska Medicine’s specialist to review your records and give personal answers for your condition.
Learn more about the eConsult Program here.
Genetic counseling and testing:
Genetic Counseling and Testing: One day a week patients can come to the June E. Nylen Cancer Center and virtually meet with a certified genetic counselor from the Munroe-Meyer Institute in the Genetic Medicine Department within the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Approximately 5-10% of cancers have been linked to an inherited gene, higher in some specific types of cancer like ovarian cancer at 20%. If done when cancer is already diagnosed, genetic testing helps make informed decisions on the most effective course of treatment. Genetic testing can also help people understand their risk for cancer, help them make medical decisions, and take steps to prevent or lower their cancer risk or detect cancer early.
We piloted this program with breast cancer patients, but appointments are now open to patients with any cancer diagnoses. In the next phase of the program, we are opening the genetic counseling and testing to non-patients to be tested pre-diagnosis, which is a complete shift in our practice. This means we can truly impact preventing cancer.
There is a $150 fee for a consultation with the certified genetic counselor to gather background to determine what tests are needed and then to discuss the results and implications of those results is an additional cost. This fee is always out of pocket because as of current, genetic counseling is not a service covered by Medicare/insurance as genetic counselors are not seen as practitioners. (There is a proposed bill in legislation to change this, but it’s not the case today.)
You will need a physician referral to have a genetic counseling consultation so visit with your oncologist, family medicine physician, or OBGYN. For additional questions about our expanded genetic counseling and testing program, please go here or call (712) 252-9370.
Shared employment of physicians
Shared employment of the future radiation oncologists practicing at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. As a larger facility with its own university and training program, Nebraska Medicine has better access to a supply of oncologists to hire. JENCC has partnered with Nebraska Medicine to maximize the benefits of securing two new high-quality radiation oncologists to care for patients at our clinic.
“These are just some of the current ways we are embracing a partnership with a larger health care system to bring advanced care options to patients here at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center,” said Krista McCullough, Executive Director. “Nebraska Medicine has expert oncologists as well as other specialists. By partnering together, Siouxlanders have access to beneficial and life-saving specialty care without needing to leave our community.”