Adventist Health Lodi Memorial breaks ground on new cancer center
The walls are still beams of lumber and the vault is dark with concrete slabs, but this construction site — near the corner of Vine Street and Alder Place in Lodi — is only weeks away from offering state-of-the-art cancer care to patients in this community.
Adventist Health’s new cancer center will allow those needing cancer care to receive treatment close to home.
“This new center will modernize Adventist Health Lodi Memorial’s ability to care for cancer patients. We can now stay with cancer patients from early detection to general treatment and all the way through radiation and complex diagnoses,” said Adventist Health Lodi Memorial President Daniel Wolcott.
The cancer center will be equipped with the latest technology and equipment, including a GE PET CT Digital Scanner, Flexitron HDR and Elekta VersaHD Linear Accelerator.
A PET CT scanner will perform full-body scans and show detailed pictures that reveal abnormal activity in cells of the body. The Flexitron HDR (highdose radiotherapy) will provide a live source of radiation in many types of treatment. The center will also offer SGRT — surface guided radiotherapy — that monitors a patient’s movement, so that if a patient moves, the beam of radiation stops, thus preserving surrounding tissue loss.
The new, state-of-the-art linear accelerator is one of the most advanced cancer treatments available. It uses sophisticated image guidance technology to pinpoint the exact location of a three-dimensional tumor; then delivers extremely precise, intense doses of radiation that kill cancerous cells while preserving surrounding healthy tissue.
Jesse Kaestner is manager of the cancer center, and has been involved with overseeing the project since the beginning. He is excited most about the technology that Lodi will now have access to right in their own backyard. No need to travel for higher-level care.
“Cancer patients in the community will be able to receive the type of radiation therapy normally found at top teaching hospitals and universities, such
as Stanford and UC Davis,” Kaestner said. “We can provide the same type of treatments here at home that they would receive at those large institutions.”
The medical practice will be led by longtime Lodi radiation oncologist, Dr. Travers McLoughlin, who currently cares for patients at Cancer Care Center of Lodi on Ham Lane. He treats all types of adult cancer, and will be the practice’s medical director.
“He’s very patient-centric oriented. He is very compassionate with the patient, and spends a lot of time with them, and that’s the most important part of his practice,” Kaestner said. “He really strives to give his patients the best experience possible.”
Adventist Health Lodi Memorial broke ground on the project in early August, which started with remodeling of the interior of the current building at Alder Street and Vine, previously a private oncology practice. The vault has been erected with 9,000-pound blocks of concrete and lead that will house the linear accelerator and keep radiation locked inside. With the cancer center now in its final construction stages, Adventist Health expects to begin seeing patients in mid-November.
The interior has been completely restructured, and in this phase, 2x4s essentially map out what will soon be curving hallways, patient rooms, offices and procedure spaces. Patients will also have access to a relaxation room, where soft lighting and soothing sounds will accompany patients as they read a motivational book on treatment days.
Made possible through community donors, the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation is taking the lead on the exterior spaces of the cancer center. Some of those special features will include a lush, serene courtyard with a fountain and greenspaces for patients to enjoy fresh air before or after treatment. There will be shaded seating areas and patio tables. Landscaping will receive a major upgrade.
“It will be fresh and calming — and that’s even before you get into the updated interior and state- of-the-art technology,” said Wayne Craig, President of the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation. “Our goal is to have patients feel calm upon arrival, experience a pleasant building aesthetic and know that the new equipment offers the best care available.”