Kristina Chase, RN, BSN, OCN, director of oncology services at Loma Linda University Cancer Center, stands in the new infusion center that enables the Cancer Center to care for twice as many patients.
Loma Linda University Cancer Center recently expanded its infusion center, doubling the number of patients the care teams can provide services to each day. As a result, more patients will be able to receive supportive care at the Cancer Center to treat symptoms and undesirable side effects from the treatment, including blood transfusions, hydrations, and other treatments.
As part of the expansion, LLU Cancer Center re-designed the former surge space from the vintage hospital’s Emergency Department, which was left vacant after the department relocated to the Carol and Dennis Troesh Medical Campus. This new infusion center holds 18 private rooms tailored to cancer patients’ needs and sits same-floor adjacent to 18 existing bays in the Cancer Center’s infusion center.
“Transforming this once bustling space into a calming environment with private rooms for patients to rest and heal during their cancer journey has made this project incredibly meaningful,” says Kristina Chase, RN, BSN, OCN, director of oncology services at the Cancer Center.
Demand for the Cancer Center’s services has continued to increase in recent years, Chase says, often placing staff “in a balancing act of space and resources to meet our patient’s needs.” She says the expansion allows care team members more flexibility in scheduling last-minute appointments for patients with cancer to receive supportive care measures to help manage symptoms as they arise.
“I love how spacious the new center is and the privacy of the individual rooms,” says patient Madeline Walker upon seeing the new center. “Sometimes you want to close your eyes and go to sleep, and this space is good for enabling that peace.”
As part of the oncology team, Chase says she and care members understand that cancer care involves more than administering oncologic treatments; it also requires the skills and resources to deliver timely supportive care.
“Access to personalized, cutting-edge cancer treatment is a top priority for patients when faced with a new diagnosis of cancer,” Chase says. "This expansion places us in a position to care for people in a much better way."
At Loma Linda University Cancer Center, care teams are committed to providing patients with compassionate, comprehensive and personalized care that gives them the best opportunity to face cancer. Learn more about services available at the Cancer Center online or call (800) 782-2623.
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