Construction on the Cancer Centers of Southwest
Oklahoma, on the Jackson County Memorial Hospital main
campus, continues to progress. The latest activity is
the erection of the steel exterior frame and pouring of
the concrete vault that will house the new linear
accelerator.
The 10,000 square foot complex will
feature state-of-the-art technology for enhanced cancer
care for patients in Southwest Oklahoma and North
Texas. An opening date of June 2008 is anticipated.
Cancer Centers of Southwest
Oklahoma is a joint partnership between Jackson County
Memorial Hospital in Altus; Comanche County Memorial
Hospital in Lawton; and Duncan Regional Hospital in
Duncan. Each hospital will have a newly constructed
cancer center on its campus ready to open in 2008.
The cost for the JCMH campus
location is roughly $5.2 million with most of the
funding coming through bond financing. A capital
campaign to raise funds for the JCMH location is
underway. The JCMH Auxiliary donated $500,000 in
December of 2006. Best Western of Altus donated $2500,
First State Bank of Altus has pledged $10,000 and NBC
Bank of Altus employees have pledged $25,000 over five
years. Jackson County Memorial Hospital employees
pledged nearly $4,000 through 2007 with pledges renewing
for 2008. Many individual donations have been made in
memory of loved ones who have lost their lives to
cancer. To date, a total of $542,700 has been donated
or pledged to the JCMH campus of the Cancer Centers of
Southwest Oklahoma.
The need for cancer treatment in
Southwest Oklahoma is enormous and the three hospitals
have worked diligently to bring this level of available
cancer care to reality.
“The cancer centers will
have the farthest outreach of any of our services,”
stated William G. Wilson, President and Chief Executive
Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Cancer Centers
of Southwest Oklahoma. “Between the three cancer
centers in Altus, Lawton and Duncan, we will have the
opportunity to provide outstanding treatment and to
profoundly affect the availability of cancer treatment
to residents in a 13-county area in southwest Oklahoma
and north Texas.”
“The hardest stories to
hear are from cancer patients and their families about
the daily long distance drives to receive treatment.
In addition to a frightening diagnosis, the treatment is
sometimes out of reach or certainly not convenient,”
explained Wilson.
Specialized cancer
treatment includes chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Radiation is delivered through the linear accelerator
using precise imaging or Image-Guided Radiation Therapy
(IGRT). This advanced technique is better at defining
the radiation target. All three cancer centers will
install the Elekta Linear Accelerator.
Chemotherapy will be
administered according to the patients’ oncologist.
Each cancer center will provide chemotherapy. “It is
imperative that we be able to provide every aspect of a
cancer patients care,” stated Wilson. “Our mission is
to provide not only the best cancer care but the best
patient care and customer service.”
Lane Hooton was named the
Chief Operations Officer of the three cancer centers in
July. He oversees the construction process and will
supervise the daily operations when the centers are open
and operational. He travels to the three cancer center
locations with his main office in Comanche County
Memorial Hospital. Hooton comes from the Dallas area
with many years of experience in cancer center
operations and management experience.
To learn more about the
Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma or to make a
donation to the JCMH campus location, contact the
Jackson County Memorial Hospital Foundation at
481-2375. Donations may be mailed to the JCMH
Foundation at P.O. Box 8190, Altus, OK 73522. Donations
to the JCMH campus are used solely for the construction
and operations of the JCMH, Altus location.
