Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden and heiress to the Swedish throne, with Tomas Puusepp, President and CEO of Elekta and Vivek Mehta, M.D., director of the CATRT at Swedish Cancer Institute, in front of the Elekta Synergy radiation therapy machine at the Swedish Cancer Institute.

Crown Princess Victoria was in Seattle to celebrate Sweden Week (http://swedenweek.org/) – a time to honor the Swedish influence of the city of Seattle. Part of the festivities included a technology tour of Swedish Medical Center on Friday, as well as a Nobel Laureate Tribute Dinner on Friday night which honored six Nobel winners from Seattle. Elekta was a gold sponsor of Sweden Week and the Nobel Dinner. Saturday evening she commemorated the Centennial Celebration of Swedish Medical Center by attending Celebrate Swedish – the annual fundraiser for Swedish Medical Center, of which Elekta was a sponsor.

Swedish Cancer Institute (Seattle) and Elekta also finalized a strategic partnership to launch a major new cancer-care initiative to transform radiation oncology delivery for cancer patients. This unique, multi-year, multi-product collaboration covers the spectrum of cancer management – from treatment planning and delivery to workflow and connectivity – and enhances Swedish Cancer Institute’s ability to provide patients access to state-of-the-art technology early in the product introduction cycle.

This partnership agreement, which is among the most comprehensive in Elekta’s history, includes Swedish’s acquisition of multiple cancer management solutions, including radiation-therapy treatment systems, treatment planning workstations, electronic medical record systems, clinical service, and a Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ (radiosurgery) system. Elekta will also provide expertise in process transformation, technology enablement and strategic marketing.

Elekta President and CEO Tomas Puusepp says the agreement is mutually beneficial for both organizations. “Elekta will contribute its innovative technologies and significant experience in the oncology marketplace to further elevate Swedish’s position as a cancer-care leader. And in turn, Elekta will benefit from the unique opportunity to partner with one of the most forward-thinking cancer-care institutions in the United States.”

“Our position as a leading, non-profit health-care provider means we have an obligation to explore new solutions that contribute to making health-care delivery more efficient and effective. Embarking on this type of partnership with Elekta, the major provider of radiation oncology technology, will allow us to help steer the future of technology and its integration into community cancer centers,” says Swedish CEO Dr. Rod Hochman.