The Catalyst Issue 19 | August 2014 | Page 29

For more information about how you can support these top cancer care priorities, please contact the Scott & White Healthcare Foundation at 800-293-4483 or [email protected]. A great need to expand our services Michael Davis, director of the Scott & White Cancer Institute, says that while many patients in the health system’s service area have access to radiation therapy services close to home, too many still do not. Just three of the six oncology programs at Scott & White locations— in Temple, Killeen, and Waco—provide radiation therapy services of any type, although all locations offer medical oncology services. This is an important issue because more Texans are being diagnosed with cancer and require efficient treatment options delivered in a convenient setting, so we hope to make access to radiation oncology services easier and less disruptive to patients’ daily lives by broadening services in all of our cancer treatment locations. “One of the Cancer Institute’s goals is to bring comprehensive cancer services, which includes radiation oncology, to the patients we serve close to their own communities,” says Mr. Davis. “With philanthropic support, we can meet our goal of providing seamless, high-quality, and convenient access to the best technologies and services to all cancer patients served by the Scott & White Cancer Institute.” TOP PRIORITIES Scott & White Hospital College Station Scott & White Hospital Round Rock Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple Space for a linear accelerator has been built for this critical technology, but funds are lacking to acquire it. Currently, patients near College Station requiring radiation therapy face a long drive to Temple or must leave the system to receive it. Donations at any level are also sought to help expand treatment services at Scott & White Hospital College Station, and at the new Baylor Scott & White Cancer Center in Waco. Building a freestanding cancer center to serve one of the fastest growing populations in the county is a necessity. It would provide comprehensive cancer care close to home for patients in the Austin/Round Rock/Georgetown area and would ensure a high quality experience for those under the care of our physicians. Currently, patients who require radiation therapy services are sent to facilities outside of the Baylor Scott & White Health system. A radiation oncology center would provide improved continuity of care where Baylor Scott & White providers could work as a team to deliver the best possible care. An upgrade and expansion of the aging Radiation Oncology Department at the Vasicek Cancer Treatment Center in Temple is needed in order to offer patients and families