GALESBURG, Ill. — OSF St. Mary Medical Center is opening a new radiation oncology clinic at 3375 N. Seminary St. in Galesburg.
A blessing and dedication for the new services was held on December 13, and the team at OSF hopes to begin seeing patients in January 2024.
The new clinic will provide a linear accelerator for external beam radiation treatments. On cancer patients, these high-energy X-rays, also known as electrons, are focused on the individual's tumor. According to OSF, the treatment is a less invasive method of destroying cancer cells while protecting surrounding, normal tissue.
OSF hopes to treat around 20 patients a day once the clinic officially launches.
The clinic will be a temporary service until OSF can complete a more permanent cancer center in Galesburg in the next two years. This will be an extension of the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute that's currently under construction in Peoria.
We spoke with Lisa DeKezel, President of OSF HealthCare Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth and OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg on the new clinic. She spoke to its increased need for serving rural communities in order for patients to avoid long drives simply for cancer treatment. You can watch her full interview in the above video.
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