Bermuda Hospitals Board, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Partners International Establish New Men’s Clinic

Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Partners International are very pleased to announce their first Men’s Clinic for genitourinary cancers in Bermuda, starting on 14 May 2010. The Clinic will cover all genitourinary malignancies, including cancers of the prostate, testes, bladder and kidney.

Dana-Farber is one of the world’s top cancer centres and the Clinical Advisor for BHB’s Oncology service. Partners International, a division of Partners HealthCare, will coordinate physician support for the new Clinic.

The Men’s Clinic is being offered as part of a collaborative Genitourinary Programme that gives patients in Bermuda who have genitourinary cancers access to world-class care here in Bermuda. The Programme is under the medical direction of Dr. Mary Ellen Taplin, who serves as a Medical Oncologist at Dana-Farber and as an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Taplin received her MD in 1986 from the University of Massachusetts, Worcester. She completed a residency in internal medicine and chief residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and an oncology-hematology fellowship at Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She was on staff in medical oncology-hematology as an assistant and then associate professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts from 1993 to 2003, when she joined Dana-Farber.

In 2009, prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Bermuda. While the Clinic is therefore aimed at men, women with cancers of the bladder and kidney will also be able to request consultations with Dr. Taplin while she is on island.

Dr Thomas, Chief of Staff at BHB comments: “Our goal is to provide access to world-class care and, through our association with Dana-Farber, we are very pleased to be able to do this for people in Bermuda with genitourinary cancers. Being able to see a renowned specialist in this type of malignancy on-Island will save many residents the additional stress of travelling overseas for a consultation. Anyone who is worried they have a genitourinary cancer should see their GP immediately so that the appropriate diagnostic testing can be carried out. If they have been diagnosed with this type of cancer, however, their GP can request a consultation with Dr Taplin.”

Leslie Shane, Bermuda Director for Partners International, comments: “The new Men’s Clinic truly demonstrates Partners’ commitment to providing the highest standard of cancer care for all Bermudian patients. In partnership with the BHB and HIAB, we are continually seeking new and innovative ways to deliver world class care while simultaneously tackling rising health care costs. “

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