Progress limited on proposed community cancer center

Leaders of both Cedar Rapids hospital say they still favor a community cancer center, but two years after discussions began, progress appears to be at an impasse.

As proposed initially, the center would be a joint venture between St. Luke's Hospital, Mercy Medical Center and area physicians.

Centralizing services at a single site would promote coordinated care for cancer patients and help Cedar Rapids attract and retain skilled specialists.

At editorial board meetings with The Gazette this month, two different pictures emerged.

CEO Tim Charles said Mercy's board is not giving up on the vision of a community cancer center.

“We're ready to move forward, but not everyone is as ready to move forward with us,” Charles said.

He added, however, that “the creation of one unified center has fallen down the list of priorities” as Mercy continues to pursue state-of-the art technology and the next evolution of treatments for cancer patients.

St. Luke's CEO Ted Townsend offered a differing perspective about a community cancer center.

“As far as we're concerned, it's very much alive,” he said.

Townsend even suggested the site for the center be located in or near the forthcoming Physicians' Clinic of Iowa building at Second Avenue and 10th Street SE.

PCI plans to build a $40 million “medical mall” in the new Cedar Rapids Medical District to centralize its offices, with extra space for other entities.

Cost savings are one component of the community cancer center idea.

St. Luke's certificate of need application last year for $5.5 million in radiation therapy equipment was denied by the state Health Facilities Council.

The council agreed with Mercy officials, who opposed St. Luke's request by noting the Cedar Rapids market already was over-served by three imaging devices at Mercy without adding a fourth linear accelerator.

Townsend maintains the request was part of the move toward the community cancer center.

Nothing concrete has been set for moving ahead with the community concept, but Townsend and Charles, along with a representative of PCI, will be at a Chamber of Commerce event Thursday morning to discuss the new Medical District.