Wellstar opens $12 million Cancer center in Roswell

By DELANEY TARR Delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Wellstar North Fulton Hospital opened the doors to a $12 million comprehensive cancer center at a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 23.

The 12,000 square foot facility offers advanced cancer treatments including CyberKnife radiation therapy, a Specialty Teams and Treatments (STAT) Clinic, imaging services and an outpatient infusion center.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison and other Roswell city officials joined hospital representatives for the ribbon cutting.

Wellstar North Fulton President Jon-Paul Croom said the comprehensive cancer center is the only one of its kind in North Fulton County. Wellstar North Fulton’s sister facility, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital is the only other program in the area that offers the same level of cancer care, he said.

Croom credited the bulk of the development to Dr. Mark McLaughlin, a radiation oncologist who spearheaded the expansion.

“About four years ago, we got together with physicians in this area and administrators from Wellstar Health System to share a common goal,” McLaughlin said. “That common goal was to provide comprehensive, truly integrated cancer care at the Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center.”

McLaughlin said when he came to Wellstar North Fulton about five years ago, the cancer care process was disjointed for patients. There was no “onestop shop” to receive care, and with spread out doctors and appointments things fell through the cracks.

“It’s really difficult for patients to navigate that very difficult diagnosis,” McLaughlin said.

When the oncologist presented his cancer center plan to Wellstar North Fulton President Croom, he said the goal was to make that vision a reality. The vision came with a hefty price tag, though: $12 million.

McLaughlin said he’s glad the Wellstar administration decided to invest fully into the cancer center. The money went to advanced technology like CyberKnife, an approximately $6 million radiation therapy.

The CyberKnife is a non-invasive device that uses “real time imaging” to treat difficult to reach spots, like lung and brain tumors. With those areas, McLaughlin said the tumor is “always moving.” CyberKnife has a robotic arm that moves with the patient, allowing high doses of radiation to hone in on the tumor’s location.

“What it allows people to do, instead of having five to eight weeks of treatment, it can shorten that to one to five treatments,” McLaughlin said.

The concentrated radiation allows patients to finish treatment faster. Prior to the cancer center in Roswell, patients would have to travel to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital for the CyberKnife treatment.

According to McLaughlin, the hospital in Kennestone has one of the second busiest CyberKnife treatment programs in the United States.

The Wellstar Kennestone Hospital is about 40 minutes from Wellstar North Fulton Hospital. McLaughlin and Croom said the distance adds difficulty to treatment for patients and their families.

“When my parents were diagnosed with cancer and treated at Kennestone, it was hard for me to get from appointment to appointment,” McLaughlin said.

A key feature of the cancer center in Roswell is the Specialty Teams and Treatments Clinic, called “STAT” by hospital staff. The model brings medical, surgical and radiation oncology under one roof. Rather than having cancer patients travel to see specialists, they can meet with an entire team in one location at one time.

“All the doctors all know each other and are talking to each other, so you’re getting one congruent answer,” McLaughlin said.

Collaboration between doctors keeps patients from receiving different medical opinions as well. McLaughlin said typically, if a patient visits a surgical specialist, they’ll simply perform the treatment rather than look at another option.

At the cancer center, he said doctors can “put their heads together” to figure out the best care for a patient, even if it differs from what the patient expects.

“If I have a patient that comes in and says I want CyberKnife, we’ll meet in the STAT clinic and I’ll know the CyberKnife is not their best treatment,” McLaughlin said. “It could me medical, it could be a combination, but the model allows us to discuss things with the patient.”

The cancer center will officially open to the public on March 27, but the CyberKnife machine is already at full capacity. The hospital expects to serve many of the patients who have had to relocate to Kennestone Hospital for comprehensive care. Croom said Wellstar is already looking towards cancer center expansions to accommodate more patients.

“Cancer is one of those diseases that touches so many people, everybody has somebody that has suffered from it or died from it,” Croom said. “It’s so real, and to be able to have something right here, where you don’t have to go to Atlanta or travel long distances is just right.”