Case Studies
Accelitech Partnership Delivers State-of-the-Art Treatment in Lafayette, Louisiana
While Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) applications continue to expand from intracranial to extracranial cancers, physician interest in the technology is also on the rise. Two years ago, a group of physicians in Lafayette, Louisiana sought to bring SRS to their small regional market but lacked the tools and resources to make it happen.
The physicians, in conjunction with a local hospital, Lafayette General Medical Center, partnered with Accelitech to open The CyberKnife Center Louisiana. The center possesses the first and only CyberKnife G4 model in the region, employing technology that allows for enhanced imaging and tumor tracking capability and higher treatment doses.
Accelitech created a joint venture model which enabled the physicians to obtain SRS technology quickly with minimal capital outlay. As a developer, Accelitech provided the expertise to establish the venture quickly and drive long-term success. Owning a minority interest in the equipment, Accelitech assumes risk along with the physician partners.
Since opening in April 2007, the CyberKnife Center Louisiana has been a favorable addition to the Lafayette community. Before the center, patients drove to Houston or New Orleans to receive treatment; now, patients can stay in the community and receive the best treatment possible. “Accelitech provided the knowledge, structure, financing, and focus to effectively execute our vision to bring the CyberKnife to central Louisiana”, says Dr. Alan Appley, a neurosurgeon and co-director of the program.
The specialties represented at the center are broad, from a radiation oncology to pulmonology to otolaryngology (ENT) and medical oncology. The center treats patients with neurological conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia, arteriovenous malformation, acoustic neuromas and cancer anywhere in the body.
“There is a huge capital gap today,” says Kerwin Brandt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Accelitech. “The technology is available and changing all the time, yet hospitals and physicians need the capital to be able to acquire this technology.”
Joint ventures of this type need to be carefully structured to comply with federal Stark and anti-kickback laws and regulations. Through the Accelitech model, existing providers get an experienced partner and the opportunity to acquire, finance and commercialize new technology for the optimal treatment of patients.