BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and officials with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center will make a “major” health care announcement in Baton Rouge at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4.
WAFB will be live streaming the news conference inside this story.
The following information is from Our Lady of the Lake:
BATON ROUGE – Our Lady of the Lake announced the establishment of the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute and plans to break ground in 2022 on a new state-of-the-art cancer center that will be a destination and leader in advancing cancer care for Baton Rouge and the Gulf South region. Construction of the freestanding facility will be an expected investment of $100 Million with additional significant financial investments advancing cancer care and services.
The facility will include more than 80,000 square feet that will be directly connected to the Regional Medical Center providing ease of access to a full suite of services for all cancer patients. The Cancer Institute will include medical and surgical oncology practices, a chemotherapy/infusion center, advanced imaging and diagnostics for treatment, dedicated infusion pharmacy, an on-site pharmacy and a state-of-the-art conference center, which together deliver on multidisciplinary care, education, research, patient wellness and innovation.
Our Lady of the Lake is finalizing its selection of a nationally recognized architecture firm experienced in building state-of-the-art cancer centers.
“Physical, emotional and spiritual care are proven to play an important role in a cancer diagnosis, treatment and survival. We are excited to bring all of these services under one roof with our holistic approach to cancer therapy. Patients benefit when surrounded by family, support systems and the familiarity of home—every advantage combined with advanced treatments and care beyond their cure,” said Scott Wester, President and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake.
“Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute takes cancer services to the next level of treatment and effectiveness through a dedicated freestanding facility exclusively committed to patient-focused and quality driven care. There’s nothing independent about cancer care. Treating cancer takes a team, and bringing every talent together is what each patient deserves. Our decades of experience and leadership, our physicians and experienced cancer teams, along with the depth of specialty services at Our Lady of the Lake are the backbone of this exciting step,” Wester added.
Daniel Nuss, MD, FACS, will lead Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute and Linda Lee, LCSW, will serve as administrative vice president.
“This is an historic investment in cancer care for the Gulf South,” said Dr. Nuss, Transitional Chief of Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute. “Research has proven that best-in-class cancer care includes a team-based and holistic approach to patient needs. We are bringing our full body of knowledge and expertise to not only construct this facility, but to provide the total care experience under one roof for every patient who steps through our doors. I’m honored and excited to stand with this unmatched vision. Patients can have newfound confidence that our advanced surgical treatment and hematology and oncology services can all be found right here in our community and will serve as an easily accessible destination for those across the Gulf South.”
Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute is accredited by the Commission on Cancer affirming the highest standards in cancer research, treatment, prevention and education, and meeting successful completion of a rigorous review process. This accreditation has been in place since 1990 demonstrating the sustained quality of this comprehensive approach.
The Cancer Institute will benefit from the resources of a nationally recognized academic medical center and from Our Lady of the Lake’s graduate medical education programs and strong relationship with Louisiana State University and Pennington Biomedical Research. In this unique environment, cancer researchers and providers work side by side to advance cancer treatment. Teams will draw on a vast network of collaborators across Louisiana to address issues and make discoveries that have a national impact and, most importantly, offer each cancer patient individually tailored treatment options.
The Cancer Institute team includes the 600 physicians from Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group and countless other physician partners across the community. Most notably, its Medical Oncology practice, a board and specialty certified group known as one of the largest and most respected oncology physician groups in the region. Additionally, the Institute offers the most innovative palliative medicine, and surgical oncology care including head and neck, colorectal and other gastrointestinal tumors, lung cancer and thoracic surgical care, neurological tumors and orthopedic oncology services. Respected community providers also play essential roles on the care team for diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. “The construction of a progressive freestanding facility is a sign of strength for healthcare in our region,” said William Balhoff, Board of Directors Chair for Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. “Following the transitions of cancer partnerships in the community, Our Lady of the Lake unquestionably has a bright future as the elite cancer leader with the strength of their clinical talent and proven accomplishments. Motivated by community need and guided by our values, with our physicians we are providing our patients tremendous, world-class care.”
“Our vision for the new facility will incorporate elements of cancer industry leaders that truly make an impact in their local communities, as Our Lady of the Lake has done for almost 100 years,” said Wester. “Our Sisters’ mission never wavers, and we’re proud of the collective work in cancer care that our teams have brought through today. We’re honored to advance cancer care as a model for our state and region.”
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