Brodstone Memorial Hospital recently administered the first chemotherapy treatment in house. "This has been a goal of ours for more than two years, and I am so pleased we could finally make this happen for our community", said Treg Vyzourek, hospital CEO. "This is another step in bringing 'Superior Care Close To Home'."

This has been a tedious process which included construction changes, new equipment purchases and additional education for the hospital staff. The Brodstone expansion project, announced in the fall of 2019, will include an infusion center with suites for patients which will allow for added privacy and comfortability during treatments.

A patient who would like to have their chemotherapy at Brodstone Memorial Hospital must start this conversation with the healthcare provider that prescribes the therapy. Once the order is received by the staff at Brodstone, the treatment can then be scheduled.

Some chemotherapy treatments can take as long as seven hours and some are as short as 30 minutes. The mixture is prepared by the pharmacy staff and the specially trained nurses administer it. "This is very much a team effort," says Shannon Short, hospital pharmacist. "We work together to bring this service to Brodstone for those patients who have a hardship traveling so far from home." The current chemo room is set up with a computer so that the patient is able to consult with their physician via telehealth.

Kendra Lipker, RN, along with five other nurses have been trained to administer the chemotherapy. "Patients sometimes have to cancel their appointments out of town because they don't feel strong enough for a long trip. I am just grateful to have the opportunity to provide this service to our patients here now," said Lipker.