Hospital News

Roper St. Francis, Charleston Hematology Oncology Break Ground for New West Ashley Cancer Center

Charleston, SC, June 24, 2009 – Roper St. Francis Cancer Center and Charleston Hematology Oncology Associates, P.A. (CHOA) today celebrated the groundbreaking of their new West Ashley Cancer Center. Located on the campus of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital on Henry Tecklenberg Drive, the 76,000-square-foot, $19 million outpatient facility is expected to be completed and see its first patients in fall 2010.

“This new outpatient Cancer Center will serve as a place for hope and healing with expert physicians, nurses and other specialized caregivers, state-of-the-art technology and significant resources designed to support cancer patients and their families, all under one roof in a convenient location,” said David L. Dunlap, President and CEO for Roper St. Francis Healthcare.

In a symbolic gesture, officials at the event participated in the ceremonial planting of “seeds of hope” in containers that will be used at the Cancer Center’s entrance once it opens. South Carolina Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth, who created the Roper St. Francis “Expressions of Healing” cancer support program a decade ago and who continues to teach the program, read an excerpt from one of her best known poems, “Rivers of Wind.”

The new, 3-story stucco building features an architectural design in keeping with the pastel palette of existing buildings on the St. Francis Hospital campus. The center will house offices for CHOA physicians including George Geils Sr., MD; David Ellison, MD; Elizabeth Christian, MD; George Geils Jr., MD; George Keogh, MD, and James Orcutt, MD. Plans call for a comprehensive array of outpatient cancer services including radiation, chemotherapy,ET/CT, CT, and labs will be offered pending regulatory approval. A new linear accelerator will offer all of the latest therapies available for radiation treatment.

A patient resource library, retail boutique with wigs, prostheses and specially designed garments, and café are among other features of the new Cancer Center. “From the start, our vision has been to create a central place where cancer patients will have access to both their medical treatments as well as services and programs that support their individual needs,” said Scott Broome, Service Line Director for Roper St. Francis Cancer Center.

Described as an extension of the specialty care and services offered at the Roper St. Francis Cancer Center, Dr. Geils Sr., who is board certified in Hematology, Oncology and Internal Medicine, noted, “The major difference is that we will be able to treat outpatients with an extensive range of needs in a welcoming, relaxed environment.”

The planning, design and construction team for the new Cancer Center are Architects, LTC Associates, Inc., contractors, Trident Construction Company, general contractors, and Program Management Resources, Inc., construction program management.

“Like the community and the people we serve, our hospital campus is vibrant and growing,” said Allen Carroll, CEO for Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. “We recently completed a 60-bed hospital expansion, including our Women’s and Children’s Services and state-of-the-art Neuro-Spine Center. In September we will open our new Meditation Garden, which is located adjacent to the new Cancer Center.”

Roper St. Francis Cancer Center is the tri-county’s market leader for the treatment of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer, which represent the most commonly diagnosed cancers. Five-year survival rates for the treatment of breast, colorectal, prostate and lung cancer at Roper St. Francis Cancer Center surpass both state and national benchmarks. “This means that our patients receive the highest quality of care, right here in Charleston,” said Broome.

At Roper St. Francis Cancer Center, patients benefit from a comprehensive, multidisciplinary cancer care team, which includes Roper St. Francis physicians ranging from oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, pathologists, dermatologists and pulmonologists, who work closely with certified oncology nurses, technologists, cancer care navigators, pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers, pastoral care and others. Programs and services include education, prevention, early detection through screenings and state-of-the-art technology for diagnosis and treatment, as well as a wide range of cancer-related support services.

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons has awarded Accreditation with Commendation to the Roper St. Francis Cancer Center, recognizing it as a comprehensive community hospital cancer program. Approval by CoC is given only to those cancer centers that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest quality of cancer care.

The Roper St. Francis Cancer Center also operates a dedicated Oncology Research Department, of which the Clinical Trials Program is part. To learn more about Roper St. Francis Cancer Center, visit http://www.ropersaintfrancis.com/cancer/

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The Roper St. Francis Healthcare Mission:

Healing All People with Compassion, Faith and Excellence.