St. Elizabeth Hospital offers patients 'most advanced' radiation treatments
01 / 30 / 2008
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Maria Heim, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
The TomoTherapy Hi-Art system is one of the most advanced and versatile radiation therapy systems commercially available for the treatment of a wide variety of cancers. Unlike traditional radiation therapy equipment, the Hi-Art system’s treatment delivery unit doubles as an on-board CT scanner that allows true CT images of a patient’s anatomy to be created with the same physical equipment next used to treat the patient, thereby bringing clinicians unprecedented confidence that tumors will receive their intended dosage from one day to the next.
This advanced technology also offers a unique delivery of radiation in smaller “beamlets” that can conform to the unique pattern of a patient’s tumor, ensuring like never before that radiation will avoid healthy tissue and organs. Known as fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, or radiosurgery, its pinpoint accuracy is effective at destroying certain larger tumors in a single session or during multiple sessions.
“All this means improved outcomes for the patient with fewer side effects and a higher quality of life,” says Dr. Tod Speer, UW Cancer Center radiation oncologist with the St. Elizabeth Hospital Cancer Center.
“This is the newest technology in the treatment of some cancers,” Speer says. “We’re certain that our patients will benefit tremendously from Radiosurgery since the radiation can be pinpointed exactly where it needs to go.”
“By combining image guidance and the most precise delivery pattern possible, our system optimizes the tools of radiation therapy, while simplifying the process,” says Dr. Fred Robertson, chief executive officer of Madison-based TomoTherapy Inc., manufacturer of the Hi-Art treatment system.
“This new equipment, along with other state-of-the-art equipment like MammoSite, high- and low-dose brachytherapy, as well as the traditional radiotherapy, gives us some of the best tools available to treat cancer,” Speer says.
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and has been nationally listed for two years in a row among the top 50 health systems for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare; 2009, 2010). For nine consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation – Affinity ranks no. 81 in the 2011 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It has been nationally ranked in the Top 50 Health Insurance Plans for five consecutive years in the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 26 family practice and specialty clinics – 23 of which are transforming into medical home models – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.