MANCHESTER, NH – Dartmouth Cancer Center (DCC) on Sept. 27 celebrated the “topping off” of its expanded radiation and oncology unit at Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester.
With the expansion’s skeleton now in place, finalization is expected soon, coming in addition to the addition of hematology/oncology infusion services from the Notre Dame Pavilion at Catholic Medical Center.
Friday’s milestone was long overdue according to Dr. Charles Thomas Jr., chair of radiation oncology and applied sciences for DCC.
“We should have been here a couple of decades ago if we’re being perfectly honest,” said Thomas. “This allows all of cancer care to be under one roof: Dartmouth surgeons, gynecologic oncologists, hematologists, medical oncologists, internists and now a radiation company. All patients that have cancer will require some of those services during their journey, so this (expansion) will hep minimize their fragmentation of care.”
Founded in 1972, DCC is one of the original NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers, as well as the only one in Northern New England, one of only three in all of New England, and one of about 50 throughout the entire country. The fact that this expansion is coming on Manchester, a satellite of Dartmouth Health’s main campus in Lebanon, is also significant according to Thomas.
“To place this here in Manchester makes it clear to everyone that is listening that Manchester is not an afterthought,” he said.
Deborah Scribner, vice president of oncology services for DCC, echoed Thomas’ sentiments regarding the importance of this expansion.
“I think one of the biggest things that we’re excited about is really the opportunity to engage and increase partnership with our referring physician and provider colleagues here in Manchester,” she said. “Not having certain services here for radiation and medical oncology has created some challenges before when it came to working together for managing patient care. Now having everything in one building will really help us all work together. We can more easily talk to each other and provide seamless comprehensive cancer care for our patients.”
