Northern Montana Hospital (Havre) and Benefis Healthcare are pleased to jointly announce plans to build a new Cancer Institute in Havre to serve cancer patients who live on the Hi-Line. This new Cancer Institute will be affiliated with and similar in look and mind/body/spirit treatment philosophy to the Sletten Cancer Institute in Great Falls, which is hailed as the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility in Montana.
The new Institute in Havre will house its own linear accelerator, which is used for radiation therapy treatments. Additionally, medical oncology services will be provided and supported by medical experts at both Sletten Cancer Institute/Benefis and its affiliate, the nationally renowned Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah.
The soon-to-be-built 10,000 square foot facility will be located on the Northern Montana Hospital campus, to the west of Northern Montana Medical Group-West clinic, and will house satellite programs and services from Great Falls. This will include: a resource/information center, a healing environment (providing cancer care to treat the patient¡¯s mind, body and spirit), as well as an appearance center with wigs and prostheses.
Cancer patients who live along the Hi-Line presently travel to Great Falls to receive their treatments, oftentimes several times a week to receive radiation therapy. Radiation treatment may span from four to eight weeks, which can present an additional drain to the patient¡¯s emotional, physical and mental well-being. The new Havre facility, for which ground will be broken in early 2007, will provide many of the same therapies that Sletten Cancer Institute in Great Falls does, but will now provide Hi-Line patients the opportunity to drive much shorter distances for treatment.
¡°This new, exciting joint venture allows us to continue our desire to take care of patients locally,¡± said Northern Montana Hospital President and CEO Dave Henry. ¡°We joined forces with Benefis years ago to keep dialysis patients closer to home; and this new cancer center is another way for us to locally support those folks needing care.¡±
¡°Providing cancer patients the opportunity to stay close to home when needing treatment is significant,¡± says John Goodnow, Benefis President and CEO. ¡°We are committed to doing all we can for the regions¡¯ patients, and this partnership (with Northern Montana Hospital) will allow us to provide treatment without causing extra stress.¡±
Northern Montana Health Care Foundation will immediately embark on a capital campaign to raise funds for the Hi-Line Sletten Cancer Center, which is expected to cost around $6 million and be completed in 2008. According to Christen Obresley, the Foundation¡¯s director, this year¡¯s Benefit Wine Gala on November 4th will be the event that will kick-off the fundraising efforts for the Cancer Center.
¡°This capital campaign provides an opportunity for those of us along the Hi-Line to demonstrate our support for local cancer therapies,¡± Obresley noted. ¡°Undoubtedly, this cancer center will touch the lives of many of our friends, neighbors and loved ones. Our Foundation is excited to be part of this project.¡±
For more information about Havre¡¯s Northern Montana Hospital visit their website at www.nmhcare.org or call 406-265-2211. Sletten Cancer Institute in Great Falls can be accessed by calling 731-8200 or toll-free 1-866-466-6822. Log on to their website at www.benefis.org/sletten. |
