FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Expanding advanced care and treatment in Central California.<\/p>\n
“We’re really building the future where geography does not dictate access to advanced therapies or cutting-edge treatments,” says Dr. Haifaa Abdulhaq, Director of the Cellular Therapy Program at Community Cancer Institute and Director of Hematology at UCSF Fresno.<\/p>\n
This year, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarded the Community Cancer Institute in Clovis a $9 million grant to establish a Community Care Center of Excellence in the Central Valley.<\/p>\n
Community Cancer Institute is one of three medical facilities to receive the money.<\/p>\n
The center will be based out of the Clovis Community Medical Center campus.<\/p>\n
“This is going to be a comprehensive program,” says Dr. Abdulhaq. “We’re going to build a cellular therapy lab for processing gene and cell therapy, but we will also build a platform for manufacturing these treatments.”<\/p>\n
Plans are already in place for where to build the 2000-square-foot facility.<\/p>\n
Over the summer, Clovis Community became the first in the Central Valley to offer CAR T therapy.<\/p>\n
Dr. Abdulhaq says the collaboration between UCSF Fresno and Community Health also played a role.<\/p>\n
“This type of partnership has been instrumental in setting the platform for us to be able to have all the infrastructure in place so we can apply for such a grant,” she said.<\/p>\n
Through the grant funding, it’s helping to create hope for the future.<\/p>\n
“To me, this is a transformational program that will change the history of healthcare in the Central Valley,” Dr. Abdulhaq said.<\/p>\n
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