Why Choose The Lacks Cancer Center?

Why Choose The Lacks Cancer Center?
The Region’s Only Dedicated Center
Our Model of Care
Our Sub-Specialists
Our Technologies
Our Therapies
Our Accreditations

Why choose The Lacks Cancer Center? The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s Health Care is the only cancer hospital in West Michigan that is dedicated solely to the prevention and treatment of cancer. It offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services with the most progressive technologies and treatments for all forms of cancer. Recognized for its multidisciplinary, team-centered model of care, The Lacks Cancer Center’s oncologists have exceptional qualifications and are accomplished in a variety of sub-specialties, as well as active in cutting-edge cancer research. The center is also unique in the region for its integration of holistic therapies and spiritual care into the care giving experience—components that ensure all aspects of patient health are addressed: mind, body and spirit.

The Region’s only Dedicated Cancer Hospital. As West Michigan’s only dedicated cancer hospital, The Lacks Cancer Center offers patients access to radiation and chemotherapy treatments, lab work, surgical services, holistic health care, prosthetic and cosmetic assistance, a pharmacy and a wide range of supportive services. This means that our patients don’t have to schedule appointments at numerous facilities. Because we manage everything from diagnosis to follow up care in one centralized location, our patients can save precious time, conserving their energy and focusing completely on healing their bodies.

Our Model of Care. We are built around a model of care that acknowledges and considers every aspect of the patient’s life. At the heart of our model are coordination and collaboration. This means that in addition to timely and convenient treatment planning, each patient is assigned a multidisciplinary team of physicians and specialists—consisting of a radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, an oncologic nurse, surgeon and cancer resource specialist—who involve the patient, their family and friends by personally discussing the most ideal treatment options and promptly setting a plan of action into motion.

Our Sub-Specialists. Our advanced cancer treatment programs have attracted top medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, and other cancer specialists from around the country. Many of them have trained at the world’s most prestigious institutions and hold sub-specialties in such fields as gynecologic oncology, thoracic oncology, gastroenterology and surgical oncology. In addition, our radiation oncology department staffs the only Ph.D. physicist in West Michigan, and offers the most experience in the specialty of stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of cranial tumors.

Our Technologies. We’re leading the way in the acquisition of innovative technology and treatment options that were once only available at distant universities and clinics. These tools offer undeniable high-speed diagnostic capabilities and the most advanced radiation treatment in the world. In addition, our wireless record keeping and imaging system allows our medical team to quickly view and share critical information, which speeds up both the diagnostic and treatment processes. A few of our landmark technologies include:

• TomoTherapy Hi-Art System®
• Dynamic Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• da Vinci® Surgical System
• Digital Mammography
• Hill-Rom Onsite® Technology
• 20-Slice CT-SIM Unit
  
• Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)
• Cone Beam CT
  
• Dermascopy or “Mole Mapping”

The Latest Therapies. Not only do our technological capabilities continue to take great leaps forward, our ideas are also on the leading edge of treatment. In addition to our own cancer research, we monitor the latest medical breakthroughs and advanced studies, and apply this wealth of knowledge to each patient’s unique situation. For example, advanced therapies allow us to safely but more aggressively attack tumors and increase the cure rates of some cancers. These therapies, integrated with chemotherapy and other approaches, fight cancer more effectively.

Accreditations. The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary's continually seeks to maintain the highest standards of care. We welcome evaluation and review by various national and regional bodies, and are proud to report a number of commendations and awards in recent years:

• Recognition by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program—the highest honor awarded, it is held by fewer than 10 percent of hospitals nationwide.
• A certificate of full accreditation from the American College of Radiation Oncology for The Lacks Cancer Center's Radiation Oncology practice—an accreditation given to only 15 percent of radiation therapy centers in the nation.
• Membership in The Michigan Cancer Consortium, a dedicated group of public, private and voluntary organizations committed to reducing the human and economic impact of cancer in Michigan.