OUR VIEW Regional cancer center expands patient options

The New Mexican

The opening of Christus St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center is a milestone for Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico, ushering in a new era in care for patients and families. This center will make coping with a devastating diagnosis less traumatic. In one state-of-the-art, 80,000-square-foot facility, patients will receive integrated care from doctors, nurses, alternative practitioners and others — with the goal of putting the patient first.

Last week, as the community gathered to see the center, the joy and excitement in the room was palpable. Here, in one place, patients can receive lifesaving treatment without having to leave Santa Fe. Patients from around Northern New Mexico still will have to travel, but a much lesser distance. A wide range of the community showed up, everyone from elected state representatives to construction workers who built the center. Patients have been seeing providers since earlier this month, but the reception was an opportunity to show off the place.

After the speeches and toasts, guests toured the building, seeing infusion centers, the latest in radiology equipment and rooms where patients can receive acupuncture. This is a one-stop shop, designed to bring the many ways to relieve cancer pain and suffering — and to cure people — under one roof.

Inside, the center is lovely. The light-filled building is graced with more than 200 New Mexico-inspired pieces of art, displaying a commitment to create both a functional and beautiful space. In those tough moments during a cancer journey, it will be possible to take in a sunset out the window or look up and be transported by a colorful flower painting on the wall. There’s the possibility for a moment of joy, of peace, to relieve an intense battle.

Care close to home makes dealing with illness less of a burden. Whether a patient is undergoing chemotherapy infusions or targeted radiation, being able to receive care after a short drive — rather than having to, say, make the drive to Albuquerque or fly to Houston — is less stressful and expensive.

Precision radiation technology will deliver high-dose treatment and allow doctors to target more tumor types with fewer complications. The center offers integrative medicine, palliative care, breast cancer services, molecular medicine and an immunotherapy center. It expands the kind of cancer care that can be offered locally. Additionally, patients will be able to participate in research programs, gaining access to new treatment options while furthering knowledge about this horrific disease. Christus St. Vincent’s partnership with the Mayo Clinic Care Network enables additional consultations when necessary.

At a cost of $80 million, it’s obvious hospital officials wanted the best facility possible for their patients, one with room to grow. Hospital leaders understand that as rural health care options decline, Christus St. Vincent will become even more of a regional center for patients across Northern New Mexico. Already, the Christus St. Vincent cancer program receives an estimated 35,000 visits annually. The new center offers space to handle new patients with room for expansion in the future.

A cancer diagnosis is one of the most frightening a person can face. Receiving treatment close to home is a potent tool in what can be a long, arduous battle. The Christus St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center expands options available to people in the fight of their lives. What a welcome addition to our town.