UCLA Health Has You Covered in Santa Clarita
Before, During and After Cancer
Ranked No. 1 in California for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s latest Best Hospitals assessment, UCLA Health offers worldclass hematology oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, interventional imaging care, transfusions, access to clinical trials and cancer genetics — plus a full-range of wraparound supportive services through the Simms/mann — UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology — right in the region.
“As a member of the Santa Clarita community, I can truly say that you are getting the world’s most cutting-edge, innovative care with the same kind of diligence that you’d get at any academic center,” says Nimit Sudan, MD, a UCLA Health hematologist oncologist who practices in Santa Clarita and Encino. “Everybody is right here, and it’s amazing.”
Oncologists at the UCLA Health Santa Clarita cancer care clinics are part of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, based on the main UCLA Health campus in Westwood. Think of the UCLA Health Santa Clarita Valley clinics as tree branches and UCLA Health’s main campus as the larger tree — both are intimately connected, and every patient in Santa Clarita has access to the same findings from research studies, clinical trials and cutting-edge therapies available in Westwood and other UCLA Health locations.
“We are an extension of a world-renowned academic facility,” says Rena Callahan, MD, a UCLA Health hematologist oncologist who practices in Santa Clarita and Santa Monica. “You have expert level care near your own home.”
Cancer patient Nola Aronson, who is an audiologist and has lived in Santa Clarita for 30 years, is thrilled to have expert care in her neighborhood. “I love having the clinic in Santa Clarita because it’s so convenient,” she says. “I know all the doctors in this area — they’re very efficient and everyone is polite and wonderful. I trust them and feel that they really care about their patients.”
A FULL SPECTRUM OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE UNDER ONE ROOF
In addition to offering the full range of cancer services in UCLA Health Santa Clarita clinics, the local UCLA Health team can treat every type of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, head and neck, gastrointestinal and digestive tract, gynecological, brain and CNS, bladder, skin, leukemia, lymphoma, sarcoma and more.
A cancer diagnosis is usually followed by several additional appointments. From labs and imaging scans to treatment and follow-up, a patient must visit a health care facility many times. Even cancer remission involves follow-up appointments. The fact that UCLA Health’s Santa Clarita Cancer Care clinic has a clinical laboratory and diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology in the same building makes life a little easier for patients.
Before every radiation treatment, radiation oncologist Michael H. Xiang, MD, PHD, collaborates with radiology colleagues such as Omar Sahagun, MD, to complete radiation simulation. Every patient who gets radiation treatment must have a CT scan prior to the beginning of treatment. Scans are also needed
throughout treatment to gauge tumor growth/size, location and other details that are crucial for radiation therapy. Even after radiation treatment is complete, follow-up visits often require imaging scans to check the status of the cancer.
“Radiation patients get imaging and follow-up scans all the time,” says Dr. Xiang. “For patients to be able to see me for a follow-up appointment and also get their imaging scans done right across the hall on the same day, that’s really powerful.”
The proximity is also important for collaboration among physicians, which is necessary for the best possible patient care. No longer are providers operating in silos, unaware of what’s going on in other aspects of a patient’s health. UCLA Health offers many services in the same building as the cancer care clinic, including primary care, cardiology, cardiac imaging, dermatology, rheumatology and more. UCLA Health also has an immediate care clinic on-site, which offers walk-in care on evenings, weekends, and holidays. This makes accessing care easier for patients and means providers can communicate with each other more quickly.