Plans/Construction Underway for Two New Centers

Raleigh Community Hospital has broken ground on a new cancer center and has received state approval for a new cardiac center. Both scheduled for completion in Spring 2004, the new centers will provide Raleigh patients with convenient access to the latest healthcare technology and the benefit of expanded services at RCH.

Cancer Center

Located on the lower level of building 3404 Wake Foest Road, the new cancer center will encompass 21,000 square feet. The $7.2 million project includes new space for the hospital’s radiation therapy center, allowing for the latest radiation therapy technology and equipment as well as expanded conveniences and support services.
Radiation therapy equipment will include a new dual-energy linear accelerator, delivering the most accurate and controlled dose of radiation to tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. A new addition to the RCH program will be convenient on-site simulation services that will pinpoint the desired treatment area and help create the most accurate, customized treatment plan possible.

The new facility will also be equipped with patient areas designed to respect privacy and confidentiality as well as space for on-site social services, nutritional support and space for other allied healthcare workers involved in providing comprehensive, multi-disciplinary services for oncology patients and their families. Patients and staff will also benefit from the center’s new education suites, as well as conference and medical education space.

Todd Sigmon, Director of Cancer Services, said the center would enhance the oncology program already in place at RCH. “This new facility will allow us to better serve our patients by providing the most advanced technologies for treating cancer in a patient-focused environment. The addition of space for services such as counseling, nutritional support, support groups, patient education and medical staff education will allow us to offer a full-array of programs designed to meet the needs of the patients and families we serve.”

Cardiac Center

Construction of the new $2.13 million cardiac center is scheduled to begin in September 2003. The new center will be a Fixed Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization Lab. A cardiac catheterization is a procedure that produces images of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart and of the left ventricle of the heart. These images can reveal if one or more of the coronary arteries is blocked or if the left ventricle is functioning properly and pumping blood throughout the body.
Located next to the Operating Room, the lab will come equipped with Phillips equipment and will be staffed by RCH employees. The center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

RCH Chief Operating Officer Tom Hanenburg said the addition of the cardiac center will “dramatically improve RCH’s ability to provide comprehensive cardiac services to the community.”

Raleigh Community Hospital is a 186-bed acute-care facility located one block north of the beltline on Wake Forest Road in North Raleigh. Raleigh Community Hospital is part of the Duke University Health System. A full-service acute care hospital, RCH’s range of services includes a 24-hour Emergency Department, Intensive and Critical Care, Childbirth Center, Rehabilitation, Diabetes Treatment Center, Hematology/Oncology, Radiation/Oncology and community education.