Seeking Solutions for Brain Tumors

This article appears in the September 2011 issue of HealthLeaders magazine. HealthLeaders media Live from Barrow Neurological Institute at the St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix

So says Phil Pomeroy, vice president of neurosciences at Barrow Neurological Institute, located at the St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. Pomeroy is responsible for business development and strategic planning for Barrow.

Healthcare is “not exactly moving closer to a cure,” Pomeroy says. “Ultimately, brain tumors are devastating.” But Pomeroy says Barrow is working to make an “impact and a difference.”

Against that backdrop, the BNI has taken steps toward improving such brain tumor research programs especially through varied clinical approaches that can lead hospital officials to improve brain tumor care, Pomeroy said at a HealthLeaders Media Rounds event, “Neurological Service Line Growth: Telestroke & Brain Tumor Innovations,” held in May at Barrow.

Building a brain tumor program is defined by lengthy pathways and initiating a strict clinical plan, says Pomeroy. The hospital is exploring new treatment options including molecular targeting, stem cell research, and neuro-oncology planning.

“We are finding folks who are looking for potential solutions through clinical trials and basic research, and with some degree of hope with experimental therapies,” Pomeroy says. Patients are attracted to new protocols and “will travel long distances” if necessary, he says.