With You

Albert G. & Helen Nassif

Radiation Center It’s hard enough having cancer.

It shouldn’t be hard to receive comprehensive treatment at one location. But that has been the challenge for UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital patients with cancer, who must leave St. Luke’s to receive radiation therapy.

UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Foundation is leading a campaign to fund cancer services including external beam radiation therapy to give St. Luke’s patients access to a full spectrum of cancer care in one facility.

The

need in a nutshell

A diagnosis of cancer is traumatic

is achieved by ensuring all of

This results in unnecessary delays

for both patient and family.

the patient’s treatments, as well

in care, incomplete communica-

St. Luke’s Hospital is committed

as doctors and support staff, are

tion between providers and

to maintaining the least amount

working together as one team.

patients, duplication of services and unnecessary burden and

of patient stress and providing the best possible outcomes. This

Unfortunately, that is not the

confusion for patients and their

current reality. A

families during a frightening and

patient must leave

vulnerable time. In 2013, this

St. Luke’s to receive

disruption in care was placed on

radiation therapy.

nearly 400 St. Luke’s patients and

The duplication

their families.

of medical and support staff means the patient is repeating information and in some cases, duplicating tests and records. Without

A doctor has three options for

Bringing radiation therapy to

St. Luke’s Foundation has

radiation therapy,

treating cancer: surgery, chemo-

St. Luke’s completes the continuum

launched a campaign to support

the multidisciplinary

therapy and radiation therapy. For

of care and offers a number of

a radiation treatment facility.

model of care that

nearly 60 years, there has been a

patient benefits, including:

The Foundation’s goal is to raise

St. Luke’s strives to

gap in cancer care at St. Luke’s.

provide is fragmented and uncoordinated.

• Improved care coordination and integration of support staff • Improved communication between medical staff • Less anxiety for patients, as they don’t have to switch facilities, providers, or travel outside of Cedar Rapids • Cost savings per patient that can range from 20% to 50%

$1.3 million to support Cancer Services.

A

doctor’s perspective

Naming opportunities A number of designated areas are

Currently, St. Luke’s patients with

“My patients are dismayed when I

These vitally important support

cancer are, by necessity, dealing

tell them they must go to another

services need to continue

with two hospital systems because

hospital for radiation therapy,”

throughout radiation therapy

they must receive radiation therapy

says Dr. Buntinas MD, a medical

and after treatment is completed.

at another hospital. This creates

oncologist at Physicians’ Clinic of

“It is a disservice to our patients

stress for a patient.

Iowa Hematology & Oncology.

to have their care disrupted,”

Conference Room............ $100,000

available for name recognition through major gifts: Dollar Location Amount

says Dr. Buntinas. “It is obviously

Exam Rooms (4)................. $40,000

A patient who

beneficial for the patient’s entire

Gowned Waiting Area........ $40,000

leaves St. Luke’s

team to be at one location, where

Nurses’ Station.................... $75,000

to receive radi-

everyone can easily meet for a

Physician Offices (3).......... $40,000

ation treatment

consult,” she says.

Staff Research................... $100,000

will have a

Dr. Rasa Buntinas Oncologist, Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa

Welcoming Entrance........ $170,000

dietician on their

A patient can become very sick as

team at both

a side effect of radiation therapy

hospitals, each

and may need time off from work.

giving the patient

The patient’s support team will

recommendations

be integrated and may include a

to help them

nutritionist, exercise specialist,

manage their

social worker, financial counselor

changing

and palliative care professional.

nutrition needs

Herein lies Dr. Buntinas’ concern.

during treatment.

“Our patient goes to another

“In many cases,

hospital and we are not involved

the patient

in their care for this stage of

will simply

treatment. It’s important to a

give up out of

patient’s quality of care to have

frustration,” says

the same multidisciplinary team

Dr. Buntinas.

overseeing the entire cancer treatment process.”

PHYS. 3

STYROFORMER

CONFERENCE ROOM

BREAK ROOM

SUPERVISOR OFFICE

RAD ONC OFFICE

RAD ONC OFFICE

MOLD EQUIP ROOM ROOM

LASER

PHYS. 4 LASER

STAFF CORRIDOR PHYS. 5

OFFICE

S/T

RESEARCH

JAN

PHYSICIST OFFICE

RN/DIET OFFICE STAFF CORR

ELEC OFFICE

COPY WORK

RECEPTION

CPU

CONTROL

NURSE

DOSIMETRY STAFF CORR

P/T STORAGE

IT CLEAN SUPPLY

GOWNED WAITING DR

H/C DR

EXAM

CORRIDOR P/T

HOLDING

TREATMENT CORRIDOR STORAGE

FUTURE EXAM SINK

PRIVATE EXAM #1

LINAC STORAGE

EXAM

(FUTURE EXAM)

P/T

WAITING

SOIL HOLD

COATS

CONTROL AREA OF RAISED ROOF ABOVE

EXAM CORRIDOR SCALE

VESTIBULE

UC FRIG COFFEE

CONSULT EXAM

FUTURE LINEAR ACCELERATOR?

FUTURE STRETCHER

P.T.

PRIVATE EXAM #2

CT

CONSULT EXAM

EQUIP ROOM

HDR CONTROL

HDR EXAM

LINEAR ACCELERATOR

Common

questions

Won’t radiation therapy equipment be a duplication of services already offered by others?

How many patients would benefit from radiation treatment at St. Luke’s?

Why is it important for a cancer patient to receive all treatment at one location?

In 2013, almost 400 St. Luke’s

Keeping a patient within one

cancer patients had to leave

health care system throughout

Bringing radiation

St. Luke’s in order to receive

their treatment produces better

therapy – a standard

radiation treatment, increasing

outcomes and a better patient

cancer treatment – to

the stress for patient and

experience.

St. Luke’s will improve

family during what is

the experience of our

already an anxious time.

patients with cancer.

With the number of cancer cases expected to double by 2050, St. Luke’s is responding to the current and future

The Siemens CT Simulator provides images of the tumor and surrounding anatomy for accurate radiation dose calculations.

needs of its patients.

Nearly 60% of Cedar

Doesn’t St. Luke’s already offer radiation treatment?

Is there a cost benefit?

The hospital offers Intraoperative The equipment will be installed

Helen Nassif Radiation Center as

Electron Radiation Therapy

in the new Albert G. & Helen

a freestanding office-based facility

(IOERT), which provides radiation

Nassif Radiation Center at the

will provide a cost savings to

to a targeted area during breast

PCI Medical Pavilion.

patients, insurance providers and

cancer surgery. St. Luke’s is

the community. The savings

seeking to add two machines

per patient can range from

needed for radiation therapy:

20% to 50%.

Where will the radiation treatment be offered?

Does St. Luke’s treat enough cancer patients to justify buying this equipment?

a CT simulator, used to determine the amount of radiation needed and a TrueBeam™ linear accelerator, which provides radiation therapy to a targeted area.

Establishing the Albert G. &

Rapids cancer patients receive their diagnosis or first line of cancer treatment at St. Luke’s.

With cancer projected to double by 2050, it is essential for St. Luke’s to offer radiation therapy in order to remain at the forefront of cancer treatment.

TrueBeam provides advanced imaging and treatment modes that enable doctors to tailor treatments to a specific cancer.

Our

promise This disruption in care causes confusion for patients and families during a vulnerable time.

Your gift can make a difficult time a little bit easier. St. Luke’s patients deserve better.

Why now?

From its founding, philanthropists like you have been the backbone of St. Luke’s. There is never enough money in the hospital budget to provide for the best equipment, medicine and expertise needed to deliver the best patient experience. We count on you because patients count on St. Luke’s Foundation to

Cancer will soon

support the hospital’s delivery

overtake heart disease

of exceptional care.

as the leading cause of death in Iowa.

From 2006 to 2010, nearly 32,000 Iowans

St. Luke’s cancer patients have

Why you?

St. Luke’s will continue its tradition of being the best, with your help.

the right to expect access to the

died from cancer. The odds are,

Please complete the enclosed

full spectrum of cancer treatment

you already know at least one

pledge card today or call St. Luke’s

at one location. Unfortunately,

person who’s been diagnosed

Foundation at 319/369-7716.

the hospital is missing one phase

with cancer. St. Luke’s cares for

of treatment. While St. Luke’s

nearly 60 percent of Linn County

offers surgery and chemotherapy,

cancer patients. As a leader in

patients must go to other facilities

cancer care, it’s imperative that

for radiation treatment.

St. Luke’s have the state-of-theart TruBeam linear accelerator, which delivers targeted radiation to the body.

TrueBeam™ is a trademark of Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

stlukesfoundation.com