2024 – 2027 Strategy for Copenhagen Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCCC)
1. Background
Copenhagen Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCCC) is a center structure in the Capital Region of Denmark between Rigshospitalet and Herlev-Gentofte Hospital. The hospitals are responsible for cancer treatment of citizens in the Capital Region of Denmark, in addition to having centralized functions within cancer treatment at regional level and region/country level. Both are highly specialized in investigation, treatment, and follow-up after treatment for cancer diseases, and handle both clinical functions, research, education, and quality development.
2. Ambition for CCCC
The ambition for establishing CCCC is primarily to strengthen and future-proof can-cer treatment and care for patients. The organization as a center contributes to strengthening the quality within all aspects of the cancer area, which is positive for both patients, relatives, and employees of CCCC. The Centre also aim to contribute to improve treatment and research collaborations nationwide.
The CCCC's strategy is to make a difference for current and future cancer patients, who must receive uniform treatment within CCCC with respect for the individual pa-tient-pathway. The process around the individual patient must be as optimal as pos-sible, both within the individual hospital and in the transitions to other hospitals and sectors.
CCCC's employees and management are also target groups for the center's ambi-tions. Both parties must experience a strengthened prioritization that ensures good opportunities for competence and career development. Employees must experience a clear framework for their work so that they can contribute to ensuring uniformity and good processes for patients and relatives. From a management perspective, the center will contribute to ensuring optimised and more uniform data generation that increases the quality of management work and create better opportunities to optimise the quality of patient pathways.
To achieve its ambitions, the CCCC will focus on 4 core areas:
- A.Treatment and care, which is CCCC's most important task.
- B.Research that is the prerequisite for optimal treatment and care and ensures that CCCC rethinks the efforts made towards cancer patients and their relatives.
- C.Education, because hospitals play a major role in the training of professionals. CCCC functions both as a) educational institution, b) employer of graduates and c) partner to universities and university colleges for development of the educa-tional programmes. In addition, the CCCC has a major obligation in relation to continuing the education of the staff of the Center.
- D.Quality development, as strengthened focus on quality development contrib-utes to CCCC always delivering treatment and care of the highest quality.
The ambitions for the individual core areas are described in this document with pro-posals for how to achieve them. There will be areas that only exist in one department for cancer treatment, while others are in both departments (cf. Governance structure of CCCC).
3. Treatment and careThe ambition is to always provide treatment and care of the highest quality, adapted to each patient's individual wishes and needs.
We achieve improved clinical quality by increasing synergy between the two highly specialised cancer treatment departments through joint organisation within CCCC. Special functions can advantageously be organized in one department but are used by both departments. This could be specialised onco-cardiology and a clinic for rare side effects/sequelae after immunotherapy.
The ambition for treatment and care is achieved by:
- Structural community within several areas for knowledge generation and collec-tion
- Establishment of joint pilot units for testing new treatments or examination meth-ods
- Shared documents for patient information, treatment guidelines, scientific/back-ground information for Regional Medicine Committee (RLK) applications, etc.
- Further focus on rehabilitation, follow-up, and late sequelae
- Closer collaboration for optimising sector transitions and coherent patient path-ways
- Systematic and targeted efforts for good patient involvement in the clinic with a clear strategy and clarification of methods to ensure this is prioritized.
4. Research
The ambition is that all patients with cancer disease should be offered to be included in a research protocol in the CCCC.
We will introduce more uniform systematics in the research work in CCCC, as well as increase cooperation on the operational aspects of the research units and re-search projects. The accreditation of CCCC improves our European and Interna-tional networks and collaboration opportunities, enabling us to attract more and larger research grants to the center.
The ambition for the research area is achieved by:
- Strengthening the common "structural/operational" part of research
- Better utilizing the advantages of “large-scale economics” by giving the research units a sense of community and uniformity in terms of law, finances and the framework for grants
- Clear structure and methodology, so that one patients’ treatment creates experi-ence for the treatment of future patient, thereby benefitting the next patients to come
- Strengthened focus on doctor, nursing, and interdisciplinary research
- Increased focus on prevention of cancers by strengthening university collabora-tion within research and clinic
- The board's influence in European and international networks/collaborations is brought into play
5. Education
The ambition is to future-proof and develop the competencies of all employees in CCCC.
We will collaborate on education in the treatment and care of cancers. Training of future leaders at all levels is a high priority and will be shared by both departments of the CCCC when deemed fruitful and meaningful.
The ambitions for education are achieved by:
- Increased focus on existing great educational commitment within all professions and functions, including cooperation with universities and other educational insti-tutions
- Prioritization of continued and specialty training within all staff groups regarding upskilling and retention of employees
- Cooperation in CCCC on joint specialist training courses in radiotherapy
- To strengthen joint leadership development in CCCC so that future managers are upgraded to make optimal use of the center's synergism
- Joint leadership days focusing on cooperation on strengthening educational ef-forts in the center
- Ensure that the common structural units (e.g., clinical research units) exploit syn-ergism and cohesion in CCCC
- Ensure a robust and well-functioning work environment with focus on well-being and retention of students and staff
6. Quality development
The ambition is to ensure and develop the quality of future patient-pathways in CCCC. We will develop a common knowledge center within cancer, as well as use opportu-nities in our unified organizational structures when it is meaningful and rewarding for CCCC.
The ambition for quality development is fulfilled by:
- Maintaining OECI's accreditation of the center (structural conditions, processes, and transitions)
- Establishment of joint quality committees in CCCC
- Strengthen the common grounds for digitalization and use of data, e.g., in Guide-lines/EPIC treatment plans, standards in selected areas, research, registration practices and EPIC reports on special focus areas
- New initiatives that create value for patients and employees are prioritized
- Close collaboration with the Oncological Medical Council to strengthen collabo-ration and networking with North Zealand Hospital.
7. Future organization of CCCC
In Q4 2024 a new Health Reform was announced from the Danish government stat-ing that the Capital region and Zealand region are to be united as a large joint Region of East Denmark in January 2027. The Copenhagen Comprehensive Cancer Center is looking forward to the new regional structure and are set on collaborating with the Oncologic parties within the current Zealand region.
CCCC is dedicated to establishing best of care Oncology services for all patients in the Region of East Denmark, as well as organizing the Oncologic services in a joint and optimal structure. CCCC is reviewing how to collaborate and accommodate common interests and needs of The East Denmark Region within the existing scope of CCCC. The idea of a Comprehensive Cancer Center for East Denmark was men-tioned, and the possibility hereof will be elucidated further as the Regions unite in 2027.