By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The new radiation oncology department at the Johnson Family Center for Cancer Care at Mercy Health Partners in Muskegon opened for business this past Monday with Dr. Nina Johnson at the helm. Dr. Johnson, who serves as medical director of radiation oncology, comes from South Bend, Indiana-based Memorial Hospital where she served as radiation oncology medical director.
“Dr. Johnson is an independent practitioner, and will also oversee patient care and the strategic growth of the center,” says Dr. F. Remington Sprague, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Mercy Health Partners. “She has an exceptional reputation, and we have been pursuing her for many years.”
The opening of the radiation oncology department brings online the lakeshore’s only Varian Trilogy Linear Accelerator, a $3.2 million dollar radiation device that uses CT images to direct radiation beams with pinpoint accuracy, affecting only the cancer tumors and reducing the effects on surrounding healthy tissues.
The center will continue Mercy Health’s tradition of conducting clinical trials for cancer patients who have untreatable cancers or cancers not responding to treatments.
“We’ve created tumor boards, a review process that includes the medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and the surgeon to determine the most comprehensive care for patients,” says Dr. Sprague. “The tumor boards start in June. Our plan is to review all cases of breast, prostate, and lung cancers using this team approach.”
Radiation Oncology is the second group of services to open in the new center. On April 14, the Cancer and Hematology Centers of Western Michigan opened its doors to patients needing medical oncology services.
Source: Dr. F. Remington Sprague, Mercy Health Partners
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Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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