Taking Flight Wing Hospital Introduces Expanded Cancer Treatment Unit

Carol Pickens, RN, a nurse at Wing Memorial Hospital’s Cancer Care Unit, calls her new workspace a palace.

 

The recently renovated and expanded hematology and oncology clinic at Wing began treating patients three months ago, and has seen continuous improvements since then as the finishing touches have been added to the facility. But the moment the new clinic opened its doors, Pickens said she felt a huge difference.

“It’s got a homey, comfy feel to it now,” she said. “Of course it’s not fun for people to come here. But when patients are here, they’re comfortable.”

The refurbished unit was nearly doubled in size and now contains new furniture, equipment, décor, and other amenities, including remote televisions at each treatment station, to better serve patients. Seasonal decorations of miniature pumpkins and scarecrows as well as dishes of candy at the center’s seven treatment stations complete the welcoming feel, but the surroundings are just the beginning of what the unit’s staff hopes will be a new era in cancer care at the community hospital.

Starting to Soar

Wing embarked on the expansion project with help from its medical partner, UMass Medical Center, which provided a capital expense package to the hospital when the two entities merged in 1999. Country Bank for Savings also contributed $70,000 toward the cost of construction, which topped $100,000. All of the work on the new unit was handled by Wing maintenance workers, which Pickens said speaks to both the community feel of the hospital as well as the local talent.

The physical improvements were made, however, as part of a larger initiative to provide more advanced hematology and oncology services at Wing,
in order to bring thorough cancer care to patients living in the Pioneer and Quaboag Valleys.

“It’s more important than ever that patients feel they are receiving a full range of care,” said Wing’s President and CEO, Dr. Charles Cavagnaro. “We believe the focus of cancer care should be local, and as much of it as possible should be given locally. We have a beautiful location here, that is now suited for that care.”

While some surgical procedures will still have to be performed further east at the UMass Memorial Cancer Center, said Cavagnaro, a greater number of patients can now receive chemotherapy or antibiotics, and have blood work completed at Wing’s cancer unit, reducing the number of times a patient has to drive to Worcester or Boston for treatment.

“Most people, when stricken with cancer, don’t want to drive long distances to receive treatment,” he said, “but they still want the latest, the greatest, and the best care.”

The renovated cancer unit at Wing, in conjunction with the hospital’s partnership with the UMass Memorial Cancer Center and UMass Medical School, will allow the facility to remain on the cusp of cancer treatment advances by utilizing the same research network as larger facilities. Dr. Timothy A. Johnson, an assistant professor at UMass Medical School, has signed on at Wing to head the cancer care unit, while at the same time continuing his research in the field.

“The improvements to our location helped to create the quality and caliber environment we needed to recruit Dr. Johnson,” Cavagnaro said, adding that he worked to secure Johnson’s expertise at Wing for more than a year. “He has the same access to the same resources as any doctor in Worcester or Boston.”

Forward Thinking

Johnson’s recruitment was also part of a larger goal, said Cavagnaro; as cancer-treatment services continue to expand at Wing and UMass Memorial as a whole, he said he hopes to see the health care system become a more-integrated, region-wide organization, with Wing serving as a spoke in a larger wheel.

“I’d like to see much more linkage, especially between the academic center and the medical center,” he said. “The system is committed to spending millions to make those linkages work.”

In the near future, said Cavagnaro, the Wing Cancer Care Unit will also be involved with such advanced cancer treatments as high-risk screening and genetic counseling, for people with family histories of certain cancers, and newer, better chemotherapy procedures.

“We’re just seeing the start of good things that can happen at an oncology clinic like ours,” he said.

The cancer center staff has also begun to see growing demand for state-of-the art care, as patients from surrounding towns sign up for treatment, and express their gratitude that the services are available close to home. In addition, the staff will host a community open house on Monday, Nov. 8.

“We’re always hopping, always busy,” said Kathy LaFrenaye, RN, one of the four-person staff in the cancer care unit, along with Pickens, Johnson, and fellow RN Joanne Szydlowski. “It’s always a party here. People feel comfortable because it’s small – they talk, they laugh, they tend to use the same chair each time they come, and make sort of a routine out of it – but they also feel comfortable because they know we can do what needs to be done.”