For patients facing a cancer diagnosis, access to high-quality care can make a life-changing difference. But for many Kentuckians, particularly those living in rural communities, traveling long distances for appointments and treatment can create additional challenges. For 20 years, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network has worked to address those barriers by strengthening partnerships with community hospitals and cancer programs across the Commonwealth. On this episode of “Behind the Blue,” Tim Mullett, M.D., the network’s medical director, joins UK HealthCare’s Allison Perry to reflect on its evolution, accomplishments and vision for the future.
Established in 2006 with just three partner hospitals, the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network has grown to include more than 20 affiliated cancer programs. Mullett discusses how the network has evolved from an effort to strengthen connections between UK and community healthcare providers into a statewide initiative focused on improving cancer care quality, expanding access to screenings and clinical trials, and helping patients receive treatment closer to home. Through education, quality improvement programs and dedicated nurse liaisons, the network helps coordinate care between local providers and Markey Cancer Center, allowing patients to access specialized services in Lexington when necessary while continuing much of their treatment in their own communities.
“We can’t do that by working in Lexington alone. We have to do that by working with our communities,” Mullett said.
The conversation also explores the network’s role in advancing cancer research, particularly efforts to improve lung cancer screening and early detection in a state that has historically faced some of the nation’s highest rates of the disease. Mullett shares how the network’s approach has attracted national attention, with researchers and health care organizations in other states looking to Kentucky as a model for strengthening community-based cancer care.
As the network enters its third decade, Mullett emphasizes that its greatest strength remains the relationships built with healthcare professionals and communities throughout Kentucky. Looking ahead, he hopes to expand the network’s impact through earlier cancer detection, broader research opportunities and continued improvements in care.
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“Behind the Blue” is a production of the University of Kentucky. Transcripts for most episodes are now embedded in the audio file and can be accessed in many podcast apps during playback. Transcripts for older episodes remain available on the show’s blog page.
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