Edgewood, KY— OHC has entered into an agreement to transition its Northern Kentucky practice (excluding Maysville) to St. Elizabeth Healthcare effective July 11. 

With this new arrangement, oncology and patient experiences in Northern Kentucky will transform into something that has yet to be seen in this community. According to the National Cancer Institute’s Kentucky profile, Kenton County has the third highest rate of annual cancer diagnosis in the Commonwealth, with Boone County following in sixth and Campbell County in eighth. From a national level, Kentucky is one of five states with the highest incidence rate for cancer, with Kentucky having the highest death rate of all. 

With this new affiliation, the level of quality and comprehensive care will be taken to the next level not only for Northern Kentucky, but other surrounding regions. 

“We are experiencing the effects of cancer in our communities as are the loved ones who are helping to care for these patients. Combining the two organizations will allow us to enhance capabilities and create a comprehensive destination for cancer care,” said Garren Colvin, St. Elizabeth President & CEO. “St. Elizabeth and OHC have a long history of working together to provide exceptional cancer care in Northern Kentucky, and this will allow us to align best practices for a stronger continuum of care for patients.” 

OHC employees at Crestview Hills and Ft. Thomas will transition to St. Elizabeth at the closing of this agreement. OHC medical oncology, radiation oncology and advanced practice providers will transition later this year to St. Elizabeth Physicians. 

“As OHC continues to evaluate options and strategies for our future, we felt the opportunity for St. Elizabeth to build a comprehensive cancer center would best serve the needs of the Northern Kentucky cancer population and enable OHC to invest in other important initiatives of the practice,” said E. Randolph Broun, MD, OHC President & Chairman of the Board. 

This transition will create stronger alignment for oncology services resulting in a highly collaborative cancer offering, providing patients with more comprehensive quality cancer care. St. Elizabeth will also serve more patients by combing the two organizations into a unified cancer center with enhanced research. 

There are 50 employees, 10 providers and 4 APRNs affected by the arrangement. 

About OHC 
For more than 30 years, OHC has served as the region’s premier provider of treatments for adult cancer and complex blood disorders, offering a wide range of services, state-of-the-art treatments and technologies. As the only accredited oncology medical home in Cincinnati, OHC puts patients first by delivering leading edge, compassionate, and convenient care, tailored to meet a patient’s medical and personal needs. With more than 70 physicians and advanced practice providers, OHC treats nearly every form of adult cancer and complex blood disorders with medical, radiation and gynecologic oncology specialists. OHC offers nationally recognized clinical research trials in cutting-edge protocols and the most experienced adult blood and marrow transplant center in Cincinnati. With neighborhood locations throughout the tri-state area, OHC is one of the largest independent oncology practices in the United States. For more information visit www.ohcare.com. 

About St. Elizabeth Healthcare 
St. Elizabeth Healthcare operates seven facilities throughout Northern Kentucky and more than 115 primary care and specialty office locations in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. St. Elizabeth is sponsored by the Diocese of Covington and is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. St. Elizabeth is a mission-based organization committed to improving the health of the communities it serves, providing more than $112 million in uncompensated care and benefit to the community in 2014. For more information, visit www.stelizabeth.com.