CTCA Updates - Dec 2009
HOSPITAL UPDATES - December 2009
Eastern Regional Medical Center
Introducing IORT
Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Eastern Regional Medical Center is introducing a radiation breakthrough that treats breast cancer patients in one day, as opposed to the current average of six weeks. CTCA will become the first in the country to offer this treatment option using the Novac7 technology from Rome, Italy.
Interoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) technology allows patients to receive radiation treatment while still in the operating room undergoing surgery and experience less side effects. IORT also offers patients better cosmetic results and improved quality of life as the need for additional radiation treatment is minimized or eliminated altogether.
“Women in Italy have had access to the therapeutic and quality of life benefits of IORT for years, but until this point, traditional breast cancer treatments in the United States involved surgery followed by 5-6 weeks of radiation or chemotherapy,” said Director of Radiation Oncology, Pablo Lavagnini, MD. “Sadly many women don’t have access to radiation treatments and those who do are left struggling to juggle a demanding treatment regimen with work and family obligations at home. IORT offers a possible solution.”
While most women with early stage breast cancer are eligible for this procedure, the first step is determining that the patient is a candidate for surgery as well as IORT. IORT requires a team approach, after the surgeon has removed the tumor with a partial mastectomy or lumpectomy, the radiation team will enter the operating room and deliver a single dose of radiation using a mobile linear accelerator. In two to three minutes, the radiation is precisely delivered to the area where the tumor was removed, shielding or protecting normal tissues from potential radiation damage, allowing a full dose of radiation to be delivered where needed and sparing the surrounding structures.
While IORT will offer significant medical and quality of life benefits for breast cancer patients, it will also be a valuable tool for many patients battling other cancer types including: head and neck, stomach, pancreas, rectum, gynecological, prostate and soft tissue sarcomas (especially retroperitoneal).
Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia expects to begin treating breast cancer patients with IORT by the end of January 2010, as the latest addition to the hospital’s fully integrative model of care.
Midwestern Regional Medical Center
Doctor Recognition, Guest Quarters Expansion and Additional Renovations
UPDATE
Dr. Staren Featured
Congratulations to Dr. Edgar Staren, Chief Medical Officer at CTCA who is featured on the COVER of Chicago Magazine's 2010 Top Doctors issue!
The Chicago Magazine annual Top Docs edition hit newsstands on December 15, 2009. This year, Dr. Edgar Staren, PhD, MBA will be featured among six Chicagoland doctors selected for the issue. Dr. Edgar Staren is surgical oncologist and Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA). Dr. Staren, a cancer survivor himself, is nationally recognized for his clinical and research activities as an academic surgical oncologist, with specific expertise in diseases of the breast, liver and endocrine glands. He has published extensively in over 200 scientific works, and has given over 150 presentations.
Dr. Staren joined CTCA in 2005. He stated, “I wanted to be involved in an institution that truly puts the patient first. That sounds like a buzz word but so many organizations have forgotten that principle. They focus excessively on the financial bottom line and that becomes a negative, self-fulfilling destiny at the expense of patient care. CTCA has the proper perspective on giving the patient what they value. I believe that difference has been principally responsible for the dramatic, sustained growth the organization has seen in the last several years.
Expansion Completed and More Planned
Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center is pleased to present Guest Quarters North (GQN), a 99 room lodging experience for patients and caregivers. Guest Quarters North provides security, accessibility and day-to-day accommodations for patients when away from home. Each guest room at GQN includes one queen and one twin bed, private bath, recliner, refrigerator/freezer and microwave. Guest Quarters North also offers an activity room, computer center, fitness room and laundry room. Free shuttle service to the hospital is available.
In addition, the newly remodeled Guest Quarters West (GQW) is now open. The 40 room GQW received both an exterior facelift and interior renovation. Guest Quarters West will continue to be a lower cost option for patients undergoing long term treatment.
Both guest quarters demonstrates our commitment to ensure that our patients are provided comfortable and affordable housing options during their stay.
The Clinic and Infusion Center expansion and renovation project is also underway. This project will add 12,000 square feet and will renovate an additional 3,600 square feet. Some of the improvements include, the expansion will increase exam rooms from 29 to 52 on the second and fourth floors, will add 11 new infusion bays, four private infusion rooms, and four additional nurses’ stations. Phase one is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2010.
Southwestern Regional Medical Center
Expansion Complete
Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Southwestern Regional Medical Center in Tulsa has completed the first phase of expansion efforts by adding more than 60,000 square feet. “This expansion effort is part of our strategic long-term plan to continue offering our patients the services they want and need,” said Steve Mackin, CTCA president and CEO of the Tulsa hospital. “It’s all part of our Mother Standard® of care – treating our patients with the same compassionate, individualized approach to care that we would want our loved ones to receive.”
Construction for the expansion began in August 2008, and the following projects are now complete:
· A new dining room for employees, proving patients and family members more space and shorter lines
· 78 additional outpatient accommodations totaling 153
· A new conference space
· A fitness center for patients, their families and employees
· Expansion of the warehouse and central plant
As part of the central plant expansion, CTCA added three on-site emergency power generators and one large, uninterruptible power supply to ensure continuous care in areas such as radiation oncology and imaging services. “After experiencing power outages from the ice storm in December 2007, we decided to make this investment,” stated Mr. Mackin. “More than just backup power, we can now be sure that if a power outage occurs, our services will continue operating without any interruptions.”
The hospital continues to grow and is finalizing the next phase of construction, which will include doubling the size of its clinic by adding more patient exam rooms. This phase is expected to begin in the fall of 2009 and will add another 14,000 square feet.
Western Regional Medical Center
New Treatments and Additional Inpatient Rooms
Brachytherapy and Therasphere Coming Soon
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Western Regional Medical Center is excited to announce, High-Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy and TheraSphere®, two highly anticipated treatment options that will be available for patients this December.
High-Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy is an innovative form of internal radiotherapy (radiation treatments), also called interstitial irradiation. The comprehensive, aggressive approach to treatment frequently uses internal radiotherapy for cancers of the breast, cervix, lung, prostate, rectum, tongue and uterus.
CTCA facilities are among the few hospitals in the United States to offer TheraSphere®, an innovative, new therapy that delivers radiation directly to tumors in the liver using tiny glass beads called microspheres. The microspheres measure one-third the diameter of a human hair and are embedded with a radioactive element to target liver cancer cells. TheraSphere® is an outpatient treatment that offers patients with inoperable liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC) a potentially less toxic treatment option compared to traditional chemotherapy and radiation.
Read more about High-Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy and TheraSphere®.
Inpatient Rooms Added
CTCA at Western Regional Medical Center is currently building out an additional 10 inpatient rooms, bringing the total available rooms to 24 in January. Each room is private and features comforting surroundings, a large bathroom, caregiver sleeping accommodations and the Skylight video system that provides access to TV, movies, internet, patient education/relaxation videos and the ability to order food to the room. All inpatient rooms are ICU (Intensive Care Unit) capable, meaning a patient does not have to be moved from their room to receive critical care. The necessary monitoring equipment is simply brought to the patient.