By Linda Hankemeier
Two hundred and twenty patients walk
through its doors each day—more than 57,000 patients a year.
Approximately three-fourths of these patients also bring along loved
one, for a total of 100,000 visitors a year.
Some stop by for
just a few minutes. Many stay for hours at a time. But everyone who
comes to this building seeks hope…for a cure for cancer.
The
Community Cancer Center has been a source of hope since its initial
construction in 1999. More than 13 years later, this collaboration
between BroMenn (now Advocate BroMenn) and OSF St. Joseph Medical Center
continues to provide high quality, comprehensive, multidisciplinary
cancer care to patients, their families, and the community.
“The
need for our services is great and is projected to grow,” shares Roger
Hunt, Interim Executive Director of the Community Cancer Center.
In 2012, an estimated 1,000 people in our community were diagnosed with
cancer. According to research completed by the Cancer Center, the
demand for their services is expected to increase by seven percent per
year for at least the next 10 years. “Improvements in cancer detection
and treatment are made every day and the general population is living
longer. But, these positive trends also means there are more patients to
treat, more treatments to be given, and more families learning how to
live with cancer,” Hunt continues.
With the current Cancer
Center facilities and services functioning at full capacity, the need to
expand to serve more patients and continually enhance technology,
equipment, and services is critical for the health of the community.
A Building Designed for Healing
“This type of center—with a partnership between two healthcare
facilities at the foundation—is unique,” offers Hunt. According to
Cancer Center staff, there are only about six facilities in the country
like the Community Cancer Center with a collaborative partnership at its
roots. While uncommon, the benefits created by this arrangement are
tremendous.
Our community would not have the extensive range and
quality of cancer care services if each of our hospitals had decided to
invest in programs and equipment independently. Hunt noted that by
collaborating, the community has benefitted from a range of services and
technology without costly duplication. Instead of people leaving our
community to go to larger cities for cancer care, we can assure
excellent services close to home, Hunt added.
The Community
Cancer Center, in fact, has become a destination for treatment for
people from other communities because of services it offers. One example
is the cutting-edge technology made available through the development
of the first CyberKnife in the Midwest. This advanced radiotherapy
device provides extremely targeted treatment usually to areas of the
body that are difficult to treat by more conventional treatment
machines. When first developed, patients traveled to Georgetown
University in Washington DC or Stanford University in California for
CyberKnife treatments. Even now, the next closest CyberKnife centers are
in the Chicago area.
The Cancer Center brings together doctors
to use a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment. A wide variety
of doctors and professionals—medical oncologists, radiation oncologists,
oncology-certified nurses, laboratory technicians, dieticians, social
workers and others—all consult with one another daily on individual
cases.
Doctors can work together more effectively within their
areas of specialty if they can plan a patient’s care together. “Our work
interconnects in that all our treatments impact one person—one body,”
shares Dr. Shermian Woodhouse, Medical Director of the Community Cancer
Center and Chief Radiation Oncologist. “If we can assess situations
together and talk through all options collaboratively, across our areas
of specialty, we can provide the best treatment options for our
patient.”
And patients can see the benefit of having their
medical team in close proximity. “A patient recently shared with our
staff that she was initially concerned when one of the doctors wanted to
confer with another doctor prior to finalizing treatment plans,”
mentioned Dr. Woodhouse. “The patient thought it would be days before
the conversations would take place. But, she was thrilled when her
doctor said it would be just a few minutes, as the other doctor was in
another part of the building and available to talk,” she said.
Seizing the Opportunity to Save More Lives
The Cancer Center has already outgrown its current facility, which
is a tough spot to be in when you know the future will bring more
patients who need their life-saving services.
An expansion of
the Cancer Center’s facilities and services is desperately needed to
care for current and future patients and to continually enhance
technology, equipment and services. “Many days, all of the seats in the
oncology treatment area are full,” explains Hunt. “Some of our staff
work in corridors because office space is also at capacity.”
The
planned Cancer Center expansion includes 35,000 square feet of
additional two-story space south of the current facility—more than
doubling its current size—and renovations to 27,000 square feet of
existing space. The expanded space will include:
- Additional
room for patients and their families for core cancer services: medical
oncology (chemotherapy and other treatments), radiation oncology, and
laboratory, as well as for enhanced patient privacy - New patient
accommodations such as a coffee shop, an appearance boutique, a chapel,
an expanded resource center, additional parking spaces and even a larger
overhang at the front doors to allow for four cars to pull up at once
for patient drop-off - New staff facilities such as a conference
room, cutting-edge technology to allow for medical conferences with
doctors and staff in other parts of the country, new doctor offices and
nurses stations, administration offices, and volunteer lounge.
Staying Focused on the Purpose… People
Much of the expansion project focuses on enhancing the Cancer
Center’s ability to personalize treatment and give patients and families
greater comfort during a stressful time.
“An exam room should
be for an exam,” shares Dr. Woodhouse. “But, discussing a patient’s
medical issues or treatment plan should be done in a more comfortable
setting. Our planned expansion includes rooms designed especially for
these types of private, personal discussions.”
Along with
providing core cancer care and treatment, the Cancer Center also
provides support services that contribute to a patient’s ability to
access services. The Cancer Center continues to provide comprehensive
cancer services to patients regardless of their ability to pay. For
example, for every dollar charged in radiation oncology, 63 percent of
those costs are “written off” due to lack of insurance, coverage, or
inability for the patient to pay out-of-pocket.
Candy Gray, MSW,
the Community Cancer Center’s Social Worker, has worked with patients
from a variety of backgrounds to find ways to allow them to access the
medical care they need. One patient coming from about 40 miles away
lacked the money to even buy gas for the drive to the Cancer Center for
treatment. Gray worked with local businesses to have gas cards donated
to allow the patient the financial ability to drive to Normal for the
life-saving treatment.
Cancer Center Expansion Campaign Underway
The Community Cancer Center’s Capital Campaign for Expansion is set to raise $8 million to expand and improve the
current facility.
At the time it was built, $6.5 million was raised from local
healthcare institutions and community members. Since that time, the
Cancer Center with its sponsoring hospitals have invested the equivalent
of $14 million to provide the facility, technology, and services needed
by their patients.
Gifts of all sizes are welcome to make the
expansion a reality. Giving levels and naming opportunities are
available based on a donor’s level of financial support.
And,
the Cancer Center must be doing something right. According to the
Commission of Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, the Community
Cancer Center ranks in the top four percent of cancer centers in the
country. Satisfaction surveys show how grateful local patients and their
families are to have high quality cancer care right here in our
community, where they live and work.
The
Community Cancer Center is located at 407 E. Vernon Ave.,
Normal. Information about the Cancer Center and its services are
available by calling 309-451-8500 or by visiting www.cancercenter.org. To learn more about or contribute to the campaign, visit www.cancercenter.org/buildhope.
The Community Cancer Center Currently Provides Multidisciplinary, Comprehensive Cancer Care Including:
- Medical oncology
- Radiation oncology
- CyberKnife Services – stereotactic radiosurgery
- Comprehensive breast services
- Nutrition services
- Social work
- Coordination of multidisciplinary treatment planning
- Community education
- Promotion of prevention, early detection, and screening
- Library of cancer information and resources
- Cancer registry
- Eight support groups
- Chaplaincy and spiritual support
Tomotherapy™ Provides Highly Targeted Radiation Treatments
TomoTherapy™ is one of many technologies used at the Community
Cancer Center, providing Central Illinois’s cancer patients with
convenient access to cutting-edge, life-saving treatment. Developed five
years ago, TomoTherapy combines the accuracy of CT scanning with
radiation therapy to provide a highly-customized dose of radiation
during each and every treatment.
Similar to standard CT scanning
machines, the TomoTherapy machine has a ring design which allows for
radiation beams to be delivered continuously from all angles around the
patient. This provides the right dose and the most targeted delivery
possible while minimizing radiation damage to surrounding healthy
tissue. The entire process for each treatment is around 20 minutes.
Typically only available in larger metropolitan areas or medical
centers, this form of radiation therapy is available here the Community
Cancer Center due in part to generosity of community donors. TomoTherapy
has proven especially effective for treating tumors close to healthy
organs or tissue that are otherwise difficult to target.