The new Loyola Center for Cancer Care & Research at Palos Community Hospital is offering cancer patients academic level care close to home.
The center opened Dec. 7 on Palos' south campus at the Palos Primary Care Center at 15300 West Avenue in Orland Park.
"Rather than asking patients to travel to us, we will come to them," said Daniel Post, Loyola's executive vice president for Network Development and System Integration.
Terrence Moisan, MD, president and CEO of Palos Community Hospital, said the affiliation with Loyola "is giving our patients and community access to highly specialized care and expertise from a leading academic medical center."
As an academic medical center, Loyola can offer patients the opportunity to enroll in clinical trials of experimental new drugs that are not available at most hospitals. "These new treatments potentially can reduce side effects, prolong remissions, and in some cases cure cancers," said Patrick Stiff, MD, director of Loyola's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center.
At the infusion center, Loyola medical oncologists (cancer physicians) and specially trained oncology infusion nurses will administer chemotherapy. Depending on the patient, chemotherapy is used to control the spread of cancer; cure cancer; destroy cancer cells that remain after surgery; reduce cancer symptoms or shrink a tumor before cancer surgery.
Loyola is nationally recognized for its expert team of specially trained oncologists who come from a wide variety of specialties. Loyola recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. Loyola is one of only five healthcare facilities in Illinois and 75 in the U.S. to receive the national honor for surveys performed last year.
Loyola ranks among the top three Illinois hospitals in U.S. News & World Report's 2015-16 Best Hospitals rankings. Loyola's cancer program is rated High Performing.
Palos has been granted the Commission on Cancer's Outstanding Achievement Award as a result of nationwide surveys performed in 2011 and 2014. Palos' Oncology unit provides care and services for patients experiencing various stages of cancer, from diagnosis through surgery and chemotherapy. The unit also provides short-stay service (eight hours or less) for patients needing cancer-related intravenous treatments.
The cancer center is part of an innovative affiliation between Loyola and Palos. The affiliation focuses on coordinated and collaborative patient care. Patients receive greater access to Loyola's renowned specialty care services, such as oncology and neurosciences, while ensuring continued access to Palos' primary care network.
Palos recently invested $50 million in a state-of-the-art medical records program that is compatible with the system used by Loyola, making it easier for clinicians to access medical records across both systems.
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