West Cancer Center, with its "40-year legacy of innovation," will begin 2019 on a new course, ending its affiliation with Methodist Le Bonheur and starting a relationship with a new partner, OneOncology.

Officials at West say it is "evolving into a new model - one that will be a patient-centric, physician-driven and technology-powered center with a mission to improve the lives of those living with and beyond cancer."

West's announcement last month explained that its new partner "is solely dedicated to community cancer care. This enables West Cancer Center to retain its singular focus on making physician-driven decisions to do what is best for patients, the community and the future of adult cancer care in Memphis and the Mid-South."

The announcement stated that when the new affiliation begins in January, it will allow West to "continue pursuing National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation and investing resources in Academic and Research Programs both locally and nationally.

'West Cancer Center patients will benefit from even greater access to new treatment protocols, the latest clinical trials and cutting-edge research."

Dr. Lee Schwartzberg, West's executive director, said, "We're excited to join the dynamic new model at OneOncology. Today's challenging and complex healthcare landscape requires that we build new solutions that advance our mission to provide dedicated, clinical excellence with a focus on the latest, most innovative personalized treatment plans. This is a natural next chapter for us and maintains patients at the center of all that we do."

On its website OneOncology describes itself as "a partnership of oncologists and industry leading experts driving the future of community-based cancer care in the United States.

"We are more than just a network. We are a partnership of independent community oncologists working together as one to deliver comprehensive cancer care with compassion to our patients and their families, close to home.

"We empower oncologists to learn from their peers and leverage their collective experience to address the pressures facing community oncology today and to innovate for the future of cancer care delivery."