Parkview Comprehensive Cancer Center set to open in Pueblo
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)-- Access to care for cancer patients in Pueblo is expanding. Parkview Health System is opening the Parkview Comprehensive Cancer Center, which puts cancer diagnosis and treatment under one roof.
It's a partnership with Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. A total of 51 staff will be housed in the center, including oncologists from all disciplines: surgical, medical and radiation physicians, and diagnostic imaging physicians.
Patients will also have access to some of the best equipment for treatment. On the first floor of the new cancer center, you'll find what is called the Edge.
"It will allow us to treat patients with tumors as small as a few millimeters to larger tumors," said Dr. Suraj Singh, the Parkview director of radiation oncology.
It provides radiation treatment to cancer patients and it's the first one being used in Southern Colorado. It minimizes toxicity, allows for increased doses, and patients can be treated in as quickly as seven minutes or less.
"Whereas some treatments would be daily Monday through Friday for nine weeks, a lot of those patients now we can do in five days," said Singh.
On the second floor is where patients will get chemotherapy treatment.
This is our medical oncology floor. This is the floor we give chemotherapy, immunotherapy, various targeted therapies," said Dr. Travis Archuleta, a medical oncologist.
There's more space with 24 chairs, a state-of-the-art pharmacy, and a lab. It's not only a convenience for patients but providers as well.
"Our plan is to roll out at least one multidisciplinary clinic almost immediately for breast cancer where we all meet with the patient in the same visit, in one morning, and have a treatment plan by the end of the day. Previously it would take a couple of weeks," said Archuleta.
Providing more timely and quality care is at the top of mind for this new facility.
"A cancer diagnosis can be devastating for patients and what can be even more devastating is having to travel 50 to 100 miles to get the quality care that patients need, so to be able to provide to the Southern Colorado community means they can get the treatment they deserve," said Singh.
The Parkview Comprehensive Cancer Center is set to open on October 10th.
