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Cancer Patients Celebrate Arrival of Unprecedented Standard of Hospital Care to Delaware Valley

Posted on: Thursday, 27 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

Hundreds of Delaware Valley cancer patients rallied in front of Cancer Treatment Centers of America's Eastern Regional Medical Center (CTCA at Eastern) today to celebrate a level of hospital care and service never before available in the Northeastern United States - the Mother Standard(SM). "From the first time I walked through the doors of the hospital, I knew I was in a special place, different from the hospitals and facilities I'd been pushed through in the past," said Mount Holly, NJ resident Phil Olson, who recently started treatment at CTCA at Eastern. "Every staff member, from my oncologist to the cafeteria attendant, goes out of their way to make me feel at home while giving me every possible tool to win my fight against cancer," said Olson of the Schaumburg, Ill.-based cancer treatment hospital organization which opened its newest facility at 1331 E. Wyoming Avenue in December 2005.

The event was keynoted by The Honorable Nancy G. Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The celebration served as an opportunity for cancer patients to show their support for CTCA at Eastern's dedication to improving the nation's standard of hospital care by implementing the Mother Standard, a standard of care based on CTCA founder Richard J Stephenson's belief that cancer patients should be treated in the way we would want our mothers or other loved ones to be treated. Cancer patients on the East Coast now have an option that is far beyond what the traditional medical community has commonly offered.

"Before coming to CTCA, I had never heard of a hospital that was so committed to its patients," Olson said. "It's not that other hospitals don't care or don't try to help, but CTCA is in a league all on its own. Things like getting my test results within hours rather than weeks really make a difference in reducing the stress and uncertainty in my battle against cancer. Organic food, doctors and nurses willing to smile and hug - there is simply no place like CTCA. And I've been to a lot of hospitals. You have to see it to believe it."

CTCA combines state-of-the-art medical care with complementary and integrative therapies like nutrition, mind-body medicine, physical therapy, naturopathy and spiritual wellness, bringing to bear many novel and innovative weapons to help patients battle cancer - all delivered with the compassion of the Mother Standard.

At today's event, Stephenson explained his lifelong commitment to the Mother Standard. "I can promise you that patients introduced to the Mother Standard of care by our compassionate and caring staff at Cancer Treatment Centers of America will wonder why other hospitals aren't sharing in this practice," said Stephenson. "We absolutely are committed to showing our patients the same loving care that we would want for our own mothers. Phil is not the cancer patient in room 2167. He is Phil Olson of Mount Holly, New Jersey - father of two, husband and dear friend."

When Stephenson's mother battled cancer in the 1970s, he expected she would receive the most advanced treatment available; but, like many loved ones of cancer patients, he was disappointed. Stephenson turned his frustration into action. He felt that no one should have to endure the insensitive experience that preceded his mother's death, and dedicated his life to establishing CTCA, an organization that holds itself responsible for a higher standard of care than the standard patients say they have found at other facilities.

Reports of sub-par hospital experiences are rampant in the current healthcare landscape. It's not at all uncommon to endure long waits - often taking weeks or months - for test results, or to see a doctor. Patients deal with overcrowded hospitals and substandard care from harried and aloof professionals, and suffer the consequences of the exodus of doctors and nurses who find the system intolerable. According to surveys published in major US newspapers, most patients report that even when they benefit from the expertise of first-rate doctors at lauded hospitals, they often feel frustrated, helpless and dehumanized in the process. When faced with the anxiety that comes with a cancer diagnosis, the last thing a patient deserves is to be faced with further trauma in a rushed and impersonal setting.

At CTCA, experienced cancer physicians work with leading allied healthcare professionals under one roof to treat not just cancer, but the whole person, in a compassionate, respectful, seamless and hopeful way. Patient focus groups are held weekly to ask patients what can be done to further serve their needs and improve their experience, and their suggestions are quickly incorporated into the hospital regimen.

During her keynote speech, Komen's Nancy G. Brinker explained why the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation supported CTCA and saluted its leadership in fighting cancer. "Those of us who have been touched by cancer know how dehumanizing the disease itself can be," said Brinker. "CTCA has found a very special way to return our humanity to us, while providing outstanding medical care and support - not just to their patients, but to their families as well. Komen and CTCA are partners in a promise - the promise of hope for those with cancer."

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Founded in 1988, Cancer Treatment Centers of America(R) provides advanced Patient Empowerment Medicine(SM) through a network of cancer treatment hospitals and community oncology programs in Illinois, Oklahoma, Washington and Pennsylvania. The facilities provide a comprehensive, patient-centered and multidisciplinary path to cancer care by integrating leading-edge medical treatments with support therapies such as nutrition, naturopathy, psychological counseling and spiritual therapy.

Source: Business Wire

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