St. David’s keeps blood cancer treatments closer to home for Central Texans

For over a decade, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center has offered the city’s only selection of cellular therapies for various blood cancers.

The gist

Through the Sarah Cannon Transplant & Cellular Therapy Network, hundreds of patients have had access to different types of transplant treatments while being able to stay close to home. Program Director Dr. Aravind Ramakrishnan said success rates gave been growing under a program that’s proven beneficial for Central Texas patients as the only offering of its type in Austin.

“Imagine having to drive to another city where the service is available. That’s a big burden,” Program Director Dr. Aravind Ramakrishnan said. “They have these diseases, they’re horrible, they have to drive to their appointment, they have to spend all this time, they often need a caregiver. It really upends their life. To keep them home in their bed around their support network, I think it’s huge for the patients.”

The St. David's program now features three distinct therapies for patients facing different types of cancer.

The takeaway

St. David’s offerings have expanded since launching in 2014 with only one treatment type. While it’s not an academic center, Ramakrishnan said physicians still do a lot of research and work with professionals across the national therapy network. The program has now served more than 1,000 people.

“When I got here in 2014, they told me we were going to do about six procedures for the first year. I think we did 27. People have just been flocking here,” he said. “We’re grateful that, again, we’re able to provide these services to the community.”

Ramakrishnan said service improvements, added clinical trials and possible new office spaces around Austin are possible in the program’s future.