ITHACA, N.Y. — Cayuga Health System (CHS), based in Ithaca, and Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes (CRC), located in the village of Cayuga Heights, have announced an affiliation agreement that went into effect on July 1. “The Cayuga Cancer Center has worked closely with CRC for decades. The Cayuga Health team is very […]
ITHACA, N.Y. — Cayuga Health System (CHS), based in Ithaca, and Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes (CRC), located in the village of Cayuga Heights, have announced an affiliation agreement that went into effect on July 1. “The Cayuga Cancer Center has worked closely with CRC for decades. The Cayuga Health team is very pleased to announce this enhancement of our relationship,” Dr. Martin Stallone, CEO of Cayuga Health, said in the July 11 announcement. “The affiliation ensures that the critical support services CRC has provided to cancer patients in our community will continue for decades into the future. With additional resources of the health system, CHS expects to enhance and grow the support services CRC provides to those in our community.” CRC was founded as the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance in 1994, CHS said. In the last 20 years, CRC’s mission has evolved to “create and sustain an inclusive community of support” for people living with and affected by various kinds of cancer. The CRC board of directors has made the decision to affiliate to “ensure the financial sustainability of the important services” the organization brings to those facing cancer in the region. “The Cancer Resource Center team provides one-on-one personalized support and facilitates support groups to make sure that no one in our area faces cancer alone,” Jerry Dietz, president of the CRC board of directors. “The affiliation with Cayuga Health will introduce efficiencies, allowing more of the money raised for CRC to directly support the care of patients and continue our mission-based work.” Donations previously received by CRC and those raised in the future will directly benefit the CRC programming. The CRC signature fundraising Walkathon and 5K will be held again this year on Oct. 5, CHS said. “The efforts of Cayuga Health Cancer Center and Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes have a natural synergy,” Tom LiVigne, chairman of the Cayuga Health System board of directors, said in the announcement. “But be assured, all oncology patients and survivors in the community will continue to have access to CRC services, no matter where they receive care. Cayuga Health is pleased to ensure the longevity of the CRC support programs for our entire community.”