As envisioned, the new cancer center will continue to offer a full range of cancer care – from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship – all housed under one roof. There will just be more of it.
“Some of the things that are not able to be provided to the extent that we’d like to today – but which will be at the new cancer center – are clinical trials for our patients and expanding those clinical trials,” Coffman said. “We do some of that today, but this will give us far bigger opportunity, particularly with our partner. Also, we’ll be able to allow integrated therapies – healing of body, mind and spirit – to occur in that location.”
With a 40% increase in the number of cancer patients in the past five years at the existing cancer center location – a figure attributable mostly to early detection and innovative new therapies – and similar growth expected in the next five years, expansion of local cancer care is nothing but good news for Northshore families. The addition of an expected 30 to 50 new jobs over the next three to five years at the new cancer center further adds to benefits the local community will see from the project.
That being said, given the new center’s strategic location just off Interstate 12, there’s hope it will also serve as a beacon to cancer patients from outside the community hoping to sample the world-class healthcare the St. Tammany and Ochsner partnership deliver together.
“We are super excited about the opportunity to expand our services here in West St. Tammany,” Coffman said.
The new cancer center is scheduled to accept its first patient in June 2021.