Saint Francis Cancer Institute Offers Technological Advancements, Comfort

Cancer touches the lives of three out of every four Missouri families, according to Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services. At Saint Francis Medical Center's Cancer Institute, patients have access to the latest cancer technology and treatments, which increases their odds of surviving the disease.

The Cancer Institute features inpatient beds and technological advancements, including chemotherapy and imaging upgrades, providing groundbreaking cancer care and treatments for patients throughout the region.

Steven C. Bjelich, FACHE-D, President and Chief Executive Officer at Saint Francis.

"One of the most daunting aspects of a cancer diagnosis is the need to see so many different specialists and potentially undergo so many different kinds of tests and treatments," says Marilyn Curtis, MSA, Vice President for Professional Services at Saint Francis. "Our new Cancer Institute brings cancer services under one roof working together with the 24 specialists credentialed by MD Anderson Physicians Network."

Cancer Institute patients enter on the first floor, which houses the pharmacy, imaging services, radiation treatment services, a laboratory, an endocrinologists' office and a boutique. The facility features a permanent, dedicated P.E.T./CT imaging scanner; CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System; linear accelerators that provide image-guided radiation therapy with respiratory gating; and intensity modulated radiation therapy. Patients also will have access to electronic brachytherapy.

"Our physicians and staff were very involved in designing the layout and planning the technology that will be in the Cancer Institute," says Steven C. Bjelich, FACHE-D, President and Chief Executive Officer at Saint Francis. "That is vital to this new facility's success, because our physicians and staff are the experts in providing care and comfort to our patients."

Saint Francis Medical Center

Marilyn Curtis, MSA, Vice President for Professional Services at Saint Francis.

On the third floor of the Cancer Institute is a 35-station chemotherapy infusion center overlooking Cape Girardeau. Cape Medical Oncology also has offices on that floor so physicians can be close to their patients during treatment.

"As Saint Francis continues to expand, provide more services and expand physician practices, the biggest benefit to the patient is more efficient care," says Bjelich. "Hospital staff will be working closely with physicians to closely manage patients' care, which will enable us to both cut costs and improve quality in the long run. Cutting healthcare costs and improving quality are the fundamental premises behind recent healthcare reforms."

For more information, visit www.sfmc.net or call Saint Francis at 573-331-5877.