Addition to Santa Clarita center will boost radiology treatments.

Vantage Oncology and Western Tumor Medical Group in Santa Clarita are collaborating to provide a $4 million upgrade to the newly named Vantage Radiation Oncology Center.

The newest addition to the center is the TomoTheraphy Hi-Art System. Unlike other treatments that can only irradiate individual tumors from a few different directions, the TomoTherapy unit can treat all tumors with intensity modulated radiation at a 360-degree radius. The radiation treatments are targeted using 3-D imaging from a CT scan, resulting in patients exposed to less radiation, which helps preserve healthy tissue and decrease side effects.

"It's a kinder and gentler form of radiation treatment because it leaves healthy tissue alone and involves less recovery and hardship for patients," said Robert Zimmerman, M.D., Medical Director of the Santa Clarita center and cochair of the cancer committee at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. "Patients who undergo this procedure are far less likely to experience the typical side effects from radiation beams."

The Western Tumor Radiation Oncology Group, as the business collaboration is known, operates out of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

Change at Health Plan Group

Christopher Ohman will take the helm at the California Association of Health Plans, after Steve Tough, former president and chief executive officer, left after less than two years.

Ohman will run the group's day-to-day operations and direct its strategic vision, and serve as "top voice" for the health plan industry in California, according to at CAHP press release.

The group represents 35 health plans throughout the state, including Blue Cross of California, Health Net and Kaiser Permanente.

Most recently, Ohman was senior vice president and unit CEO of Blue Shield of California's commercial business unit.

MannKind Enters Study

MannKind Corporation announced it has started enrolling patients in its phase 3 safety trial of inhaled TechnoSphere Insulin in the United States. In late 2004, the company started another phase 3 efficacy study in Europe.

The Valencia company is one of several around the country working on an inhaled insulin delivery system. MannKind is the furthest behind in development, but analysts have predicted that the market will be large enough to provide very lucrative opportunities.

In anticipation of future filings and commercialization, the company is also building up its manufacturing facilities in Valencia.

Staff Reporter Jonathan Colburn can be reached at [phone] or by e-mail at [e-mail]