Cancer-Centered Care
Article originally published Summer 2017 The Monitor magazine.
Undergoing treatment for cancer can be overwhelming, emotional and scary for patients. That’s why Fairfield Medical Center and the Fairfield Medical Center Foundation wanted to create a specialized cancer care center where patients undergoing treatments could easily access all of the services they need in one location.
That vision became a reality last summer when Fairfield Medical Center opened its Cancer Care and Infusion Center inside the Pavilion, located off Ewing Street on the FMC campus. The FMC Foundation donated $130,000 to the center, which houses chemotherapy, infusion services, the offices of oncologists Roopa Saha, M.D., and Kanwaljit Singh, M.D., a pharmacy, the Cancer Resource Center and more.
“The FMC Foundation is honored to support the compassionate, patient-centered care made possible through the Cancer Care and Infusion Center,” said Tracy Kelly, executive director of the FMC Foundation. “Comprehensive cancer treatments at Fairfield Medical Center allow patients to receive specialized care close to their homes and families. Recognizing and respecting the diverse physical and emotional needs of cancer patients is part of the exceptional care made available through the FMC family. The FMC Foundation is proud to play a role in improving access to empathetic, high-quality medical treatment in our community.”
Prior to the Cancer Care and Infusion Center, cancer services were scattered throughout the main hospital, and the Cancer Resource Center was located off campus on Forest Rose Avenue in Lancaster – a less-than-convenient set-up for patients.
“Now everyone they need to see for their treatment and care – from oncology nurse navigators to an oncology-trained social worker to a financial counselor – is right here within the Cancer Care and Infusion Center,” said Ivy O’Neal, manager of Cancer
Services. “We can now come to the patients instead of them coming to us.”
Patient Paula Tipple first underwent chemotherapy at FMC in 2009 before FMC’s cancer services were all under one roof.
“I had to go and search for everything; I had to buy my wig online and go to Canal Winchester for medical supplies,” said Paula, who now receives her treatments at the new center. “The first time I walked through the doors of the Cancer Care and Infusion Center, I thought, ‘this is amazing … everything is in one place, which makes it so much easier’.”
Convenience and privacy were the key reasons behind the formation of the Cancer Care and Infusion Center. Prior to the move, cancer patients shared a waiting area with other doctors’ offices. Now, patients have their own dedicated, private waiting area and pharmacy, and their doctors are conveniently located on the third floor. The formation of the Cancer Care and Infusion Center also allowed space for additional treatment rooms so that more patients can receive their care locally.
“Things that we couldn’t have before, we can now have here,” Ivy said. “With the help of the FMC Foundation, we can expand upon the care and programs we provide to our cancer patients.”
Why Give?
Your contribution, no matter what size, goes a long way to help us keep important medical services right here in our community. By supporting the Fairfield Medical Center Foundation, you are making a difference that could benefit you, your family, or a neighbor in need. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, so all donations are tax deductible. For more information about how to give through the FMC Foundation, call 740-687-8107.