Colquitt Regional recently unveiled plans to begin offering radiation oncology to patients. This new service line will allow the Edwards Cancer Center to take a more comprehensive approach to cancer treatment, in addition to the current offering of chemotherapy and immunotherapies.
Construction on the new center began in the middle of May and will be an expansion of the east side of the hospital in what presently serves as a parking area.
The new $7.7 million, 6,900 sq. ft. building will include a lobby, conference area for patient consultation, six exam rooms, four dressing rooms, and a treatment area.
The treatment area will house the Elekta Versa HD™ radiation treatment system. The Versa HD provides the flexibility to treat a broad spectrum of tumors throughout the body, while enabling treatment of highly complex cancers that require extreme targeting precision.
The system’s patented technology conforms to each patient’s tumor size, shape and volume, allowing physicians to administer higher dose rates that can enhance treatment effectiveness while protecting critical anatomy such as the heart, spine, or bladder.
Each dosage of radiation is determined by a dosimetrist, who will use scans of the patient to tailor their dosage to their exact needs.
The machine then creates a beam that is focalized on the tumor, working to make small breaks in the DNA inside cells. The breaks that the radiation therapy creates keeps cancer cells from growing and dividing and causes them to die.
A typical treatment takes only two to five minutes and patients can count on receiving this therapy during a three-to-six-week period, depending on the patient’s needs.
“We have been working toward establishing a radiation oncology center for several years,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney. “It was important to us to provide access to this service for the people of Moultrie and the surrounding areas. The technology that we will offer is the most modern available on the market.”
The Versa HD will allow faster treatment times which can improve patient comfort, particularly for older patients who may find it difficult to remain in one position over extended periods of time. It will also minimize potential damage to surrounding tissue of the affected area and decrease the total number of needed treatments for patients.
One of the greatest benefits of this new facility and state-of-the-art technology is that it will not require patients who live in Colquitt County to travel out of the county to receive treatment. Currently, any patient that needs radiation treatment must travel a minimum of 30 minutes to receive care.
In addition to Edwards Cancer Center providers Dr. Wenhui Zhu and Kerri Holloway-Cox, FNP-C, Dr. Steve Johnson will be providing care for radiation patients. Johnson, who is on staff at Archbold Memorial Hospital, will serve as the primary radiation oncologist.
“We are very strategic in our planning for services that we want to add to our current lineup,” said Hospital Authority Chairman Maureen A. Yearta, Ed.D. “Forty to 60 percent of cancer cases require radiation as part of their treatment meaning this service is needed in our community. By providing this service locally, it will ease the discomfort of many cancer patients and reduce stress upon family and friends who would otherwise have to drive some distance to take their loved ones to radiation treatment.”
According to current plans, the Versa HD will be installed in November 2020 and the center will be fully operational by March 2021.
Over the past two years, capital projects such as this have been made possible through Colquitt Regional’s participation in the Georgia HEART Tax Credit Program. This program allows Georgia residents to reallocate their state tax dollars to qualified rural hospital organizations. A portion of the funds Colquitt Regional receives will aid in the construction of the new center.
