Cancer won’t wait; center needed now

By Tim Charles

Mercy Medical Center is embarking on the next chapter in providing the most advanced, highest-quality health care to the people in our community and beyond with the construction of a new, 45,000-square-foot Destination Cancer Center.

Scheduled to open December 2011, the Destination Cancer Center unites many of the area's finest cancer specialists - including physicians from Oncology Associates and Radiation Oncology of Cedar Rapids and others - to create one central environment that facilitates clear communication and integrated, patient-centered care.

Cancer is now Iowa's leading cause of death. Every year, more than 16,000 Iowans are diagnosed with cancer. In Linn County alone, one person dies from cancer every day. And those numbers will only continue to rise with the growing aging population.

At the same time, the health care climate in this country is dramatically changing. While many of the details about health care reform still are unfolding, one thing is certain: Hospitals, physicians and other providers are under increasing pressure to both deliver the highest-quality outcomes for patients and keep costs down.

The most cost-effective way to build a true Destination Cancer Center in Cedar Rapids is to connect to the existing Hall Radiation Center near the corner of 10th Street SE and Fifth Avenue.

This location not only allows the Destination Cancer Center to be connected to the area's only radiation center (60 percent of all cancer patients require some form of radiation treatment), it also provides immediate access to other elements required for comprehensive and integrated care, such as lab, surgical suites, imaging services, private inpatient rooms and more. This plan will avoid duplication of services in our community.

Patients also will benefit from leading-edge technologies and specialized procedures at the cancer center, which will include centers of excellence for treating today's most prevalent cancers: breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, brain, kidney/bladder, gynecologic, hematologic (blood) and melanoma (skin). And these advanced services will be close to home for patients, reducing the burden of travel costs and time away from work.

The vibrancy of our hospitals and our community as a whole is critical. As we entered into the final planning phases for this new facility, we've been energized by the vision for the proposed medical district.

This project will contribute significantly to the economic development of downtown, create new jobs and cement Cedar Rapids' reputation for high-quality, low-cost health care. We are committed to taking an “all-local” approach to construction of the new facility, using area architects and contractors.

The $10.7 million building is not dependent upon tax dollars, due to the hospital's strong financial position and generous benefactors, nor will it interrupt the current flow of street traffic.

We appreciate everyone who has supported Mercy Medical Center's lifesaving mission, and we look forward to collaborating closely with people in our community to bring the Destination Cancer Center here. Mercy is opening the next chapter in cancer care.

Cancer doesn't wait, and neither can we.

Tim Charles is president and CEO of Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids. Comments: TCharles@mercycare.org