Commonwealth Cancer Center Undergoes $4 Million Expansion
central kentucky cancer program, commonwealth cancer center, danville-boyle, ephraim mcdowell regional medical center, health care,
Continuing its efforts to offer convenient cancer-treatment services, Commonwealth Cancer Center is embarking on construction of a new $4 million facility.
“It’s going to encompass a total, comprehensive approach,” says Mark Allen, practice administrator. “Commonwealth’s mission is to keep the patients in their own community, keep them from having to drive to other areas. The other motivating factor is to be able to bring additional services here that the patients need.”
The center is the brainchild of Dr. Thomas Baeker, who opened the original complex 14 years ago and has seen it grow to a point where more room is needed to ensure quality service.
“Our office was built for one physician, and we now have two,” Allen says. “And at our current location we are landlocked with no real room to grow the space.”
Baeker – who serves on the board of directors for the Central Kentucky Cancer Program at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center – wanted a new center that would complement services already available locally, rather than be seen as a competitor, Allen adds.
“Ephraim McDowell is a key player in this new center, because we want to bring services in that other providers don’t have now, like physical therapy, rehab services, clinical lab services, maybe some diagnostics, that patients can come to us to get,” he says. “We’re not going to add any services that will compete with the hospital or other medical providers in town. We’re about adding complementary services so that providers throughout the area can send their patients to us for services.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Staff
