New organizational and functional model, which represents the evolution of the previous inter-regional and inter-company Department, with the establishment of the central coordinating authority
The new Oncology Network of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta is born.
This was decided by the regional council by accepting the proposal of the councilor for health of Piedmont, Luigi Genesio Icardi. The Network is characterized by a new organizational and functional model, which represents the evolution of the previous inter-regional and inter-company Department, with the establishment of the central coordination authority. The new body is made up of a coordinator, who represents and coordinates the Oncology Network and the related Scientific Committee; a coordinator of the hospital area, who identifies hospital activity levels through indicators such as activity volumes and structural, organizational, technological requirements and coordinates the newborn Molecular Tumor Board; and a coordinator of the territorial area, who deals with the implementation and implementation of proximity oncology. The Central Coordination Authority of the Oncology Network remains in office for three years and is based at the City of Health of Turin. The Health and Welfare Directorate of the Region will appoint the members of the Scientific Committee, which will be composed of two oncologists, a pediatrician oncologist / hematologist, a hematologist, a radiotherapist, a surgeon, a public health expert, a nurse with experience in oncology. and a representative of the voluntary associations in oncology, among the most representative in the region. For financing the activities of the Oncology Network, arranged in proportion to the resident population, Piedmont allocates 1.5 million euros per year and Valle d’Aosta 43,500 euros. Contrary to the past, the managers of the new network will not receive any remuneration, so the provision does not involve charges for the Region. “We adapt the more than ten-year model of the inter-company functional department to the national organizational guidelines and the new regional and corporate planning structures – observes the regional councilor for health of Piedmont, Luigi Genesio Icardi -, with the priority objective of enhancing the role that each professional has within the network and its involvement in system infrastructures, including access to research, participation in network trials, monitoring analysis and discussion on the network. Regional oncological networks are an integral part of planning of health services, in response to the demand for quality cancer care and also in order to assess, in appropriate times, the needs for technological innovation and the use of drugs, implementing the training and updating skills of the staff. I thank Professor Franca Fagioli who in recent months coordinated, together with the Department, the transition to the new organizational model on the front of oncological pathologies in Piedmont, reaching a milestone of absolute importance ».
On the merits, Professor Franca Fagioli underlines: «It will be a patient-centric oncology network. This is also why we wanted to include a representative of the voluntary associations within the Scientific Committee. The person will play a central role in the medicine of the future: personalized medicine and precision medicine. And great space will cover research. The functions of the oncology and hematology centers will be redefined up to the proximity oncology, a model of care that redefines the relationship between hospital and territory to enhance the person through new care settings “. “The complexity of oncological therapies requires a network organization that, in addition to hospital and territorial assistance, enhances organizational and managerial cancer research in order to make advanced diagnostic procedures and access to innovative therapies available to all Piedmontese people” declares the coordinator of the Network Professor Massimo Aglietta. «The constitution of the Molecular Tumor Board will represent a great opportunity for Piedmontese citizens affected by cancer, as it will make possible innovative therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. In light of this innovation, the Hub – Spoke reference centers and their connection with the territory will have to be updated and redefined »continues the coordinator of the hospital area, Dr. Mario Airoldi.
«The challenge not yet won against Covid-19 has made it clear how important the territory is in the great battle for health – says the coordinator of the territorial area Dr. Alessandro Comandone -; the oncological network is invested with this responsibility in the field of the fight against cancer by fully involving the doctors and health workers of the area. There are 230,000 cancer patients in Piedmont currently being treated and cured. There are about 200 professional oncologists. It is impossible to think that this diagnostic and follow-up burden can only be placed on hospitals. The screening programs temporarily suspended during the pandemic will also have to be redistributed on the territory. A particular chapter must be reserved for rare tumors with low incidence neoplasms. Piedmont, which has a long tradition of science and culture on mesotheliomas, sarcomas, pediatric tumors, haematological and neuroendocrine tumors, must become a regional pole of attraction for these neoplasms ».
“The Italian Federation of Voluntary Associations in Oncology (Favo) has always looked to the Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta Oncology Network, as a virtuous and effective and efficient model to be replicated – says Paola Varese, national scientific director of Favo -, a exemplary network that has allowed, through the Reception and Service Centers (Cas), the early, global and continuous care of the patient in all aspects, including psycho-social ones and through the Interdisciplinary Care Groups (Gic) has trained professionals to confrontation and multidisciplinary and multi-professional collaboration. We have been asking for some time that the 048 ticket exemption issued for suspicion of oncological disease, recognized by the Network of Piedmont and Val D’Aosta, be replicated in other Regions. We now applaud the launch of the Molecular Tumor Board and the implementation of the Rare Tumors Network, which has long been the subject of specific interest of Favo also at European level through the European Cancer Patient Coalition and the Mission on Cancer plan. We thank the councilor Icardi and the director of the Fagioli Network for having wanted to involve Favo. Our commitment, as always, will be towards the improvement and implementation of the accessibility of services, in a perspective of proximity oncology that guarantees and protects the entire path of the patient and his family, from clinical suspicion to palliative care. We will also make our experience available to the Network to encourage the development of innovative projects, such as cancer rehabilitation courses “