GROUNDBREAKING FOR PENN RADIATION ONCOLOGY AT THE CANCER INSTITUTE OF DOYLESTOWN HOSPITAL
10/30/2009
The long-held vision to provide comprehensive cancer services on the Doylestown Hospital campus took a giant step towards reality on October 28.
With a ceremonial groundbreaking, the hospital and the Penn Cancer Network start a new chapter in cancer care that will introduce radiation oncology to the services our patients can access close to home.
Construction of the new facility will begin within the month and is expected to be completed by next fall. The finished three-story building, adjacent to The Pavilion, will allow for expansion of The Cancer Institute of Doylestown Hospital (formerly called the Cancer Center), the addition of community physician offices, and a first-floor occupied by Penn Medicine's Department of Radiation Oncology.
A key feature of the 32,000-square-foot building is a two-story curved glass atrium to welcome patients and visitors, but it's what's inside that will matter most.
"It's been our goal for years to help those in our community who require cancer treatment to stay close to home and family while receiving quality care that is among the best in the nation, with the benefit of highly-specialized care at Penn Medicine when necessary," said Scott Levy, MD, chief medical officer and vice president of Doylestown Hospital.
According to Carolyn Della-Rodolfa, chair of the Doylestown Hospital Board of Directors, Penn Medicine was not only participating in a groundbreaking, but "blazing trails for new ways to combat cancer."
Jeanne Rogers, RN, MEd, administrative director of the Penn Cancer Network, noted that Doylestown Hospital was among the charter members of the network in 1992. The current effort, she said, is not a new start but a new chapter in a long relationship.
And Stephen Hahn, MD, chair of Penn's Department of Radiation Oncology, cited the dedication and selflessness of caregivers at Doylestown Hospital in his remarks. "Together, the cancer patient will be our number one focus, for us and for you," he told more than 100 guests who assembled for the event.
Several of the speakers remarked on the leadership provided by Richard Reif, CEO of Doylestown Hospital, who first voiced his vision for radiation therapy on the hospital campus 20 years ago when he first came to Doylestown.
The new facility is being developed through a joint venture led by Anchor Health Properties, which also is a partner in and manages the Health & Wellness Center and the existing Pavilion.
