Avera McKennan Plans for Bold New Approach to Cancer Care
SIOUX FALLS (April 21, 2008) - The best and newest cancer treatments will now have a new home in Sioux Falls. Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center will break ground May 19 on a cancer treatment facility nearly four times larger than its current building.
Listen to Fred Slunecka, regional president at Avera McKennan, speak about the new Avera Cancer Institute »
View other resources for the new Avera Cancer Institute »
The new Avera Cancer Institute (ACI), a 217,000 square foot building, will change the face of cancer care in the region. The building will offer the latest technology and provide an integrated cancer treatment facility to help patients overcome the nation's second leading killer.
The facility will also be home to an eight operating room, state-of-the-art outpatient surgical center, all in a building designed to offer one of the healthiest, patient-centered environments available anywhere.
"At Avera, our focus has always been directed toward solving the most critical health care issues of our time," said Fred Slunecka, regional president at Avera McKennan. "Heart disease is the number one killer in America and we've already got the best heart care facility around. Cancer is the number two cause of death and we'll soon have one of the finest, full-service cancer treatment facilities in the country."
Cancer cases are increasing by a projected 23 percent this decade, to reach 1.6 million cases nationwide in 2010. In South Dakota, 4,000 new cases are diagnosed every year and Avera McKennan has seen a 24 percent increase in cancer business since 2002.
Meanwhile, the care and treatment of cancer patients is undergoing tremendous change, fueled by this increased incidence of cancer due to an aging population and important advances in early detection. The new Avera Cancer Institute is designed to meet the needs of today's cancer patient, providing all-encompassing care, from prevention to after-cancer, in one fully integrated facility, backed by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals, advocates and counselors.
"We have the largest staff of cancer physicians and cancer specialists available in the region," Slunecka said. "Our experts are already providing the best care and this new facility will provide them with even more tools and resources."
The ACI team includes specialists in breast cancer, radiology, gynecological oncology, bone marrow transplant and hematology. Also on staff are physicians who are leaders in palliative care, education and research.
Patients and their families will find not only the best evidence-based treatments, latest technology and comforts, but the largest holistic or integrative medicine program in the region featuring prayer, meditation and yoga, acupuncture, massage, healing touch, aromatherapy and music therapy, diet and nutrition counseling including herbs, vitamins and minerals. Integrative medicine is seen by patients and practitioners alike as an important aspect of cancer care. In fact, 70 percent of cancer patients today are using complementary or integrative medicine.
Avera McKennan has been a leader in cancer care throughout the region for 26 years. Its hospital inpatient oncology unit began in 1982, followed by the region's first free-standing comprehensive cancer center in 1990, and establishment of South Dakota's only bone marrow transplant program in 1996. The Avera Research Institute has approximately 40 ongoing clinical research trials specifically for oncology, through which patients can receive new, cutting-edge treatments.
Dedicated as much to prevention of illness as to healing, the ACI building design exemplifies a commitment to safety for our patients and the environment. The Avera Cancer Institute is striving for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, and is currently registered as a LEED project. If achieved, this building would be part of an elite group earning this designation. This includes aspects of energy and water conservation, as well as use of carefully selected sustainable and green materials (laminates, paints, glues, flooring) and a commitment to local building materials including granite from Big Stone City and brick from North Dakota. The landscaping includes natural prairie grasses requiring little or no maintenance or water and a rooftop garden.
"From top to bottom, our new Avera Cancer Institute exemplifies the best of cancer care, all available under one roof. It's the best care, in the best environment and all for the benefit of patients," Slunecka said.
The new Avera Cancer Institute is expected to open in the fall of 2010.
Resources for the new Avera Cancer Institute
About Avera McKennan
Our ministry, our people and our superior value distinguish Avera. We carry on the health care legacy of the Benedictine and Presentation Sisters, delivering care in an environment guided by our values of compassion, hospitality and stewardship. Avera McKennan colleagues work for the largest health system in the region. The Avera network has some 12,000 employees and physicians, serving 233 locations and 82 communities in a five-state region. Inpatient and clinic visits totaled 1.5 million in the last fiscal year, a number equal to nearly twice the population of the Avera service area. For more information about Avera McKennan, visit the website at www.averamckennan.org.
