Grand View Hospital - Annual Reports

Grand View Hospital - The more experience, the better.

Annual Report 2003
Years of Experience

After being diagnosed with lymphoma, Jennifer Paul researched her condition and discussed her options with physicians. She found that she could benefit from the availability of the most sophisticated techniques and technology at Grand View Hospital.
	Annual Report 2003
	Letter from the Chairmen
	Medical and Radiation Oncology Services
	Introducing IMRT
	90 Years of Experience
	Plans Announced for New Outpatient Center
	Named Best Employer for Working Parents
	Forty-Three Years of Service Leaves Quite a Legacy
	Ways of Giving
	Nine Decades of Service
	Missions & Values Statement

A History of Innovation: Medical and Radiation Oncology Services at Grand View Hospital

Grand View Hospital has long been acknowledged as a significant community resource for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The Hospital has placed a strong emphasis on treating cancer with advanced therapies and technologies, while also addressing the attendant social, psychological, and emotional challenges faced by patients following a diagnosis.

In the 1960s, Grand View was the first area hospital to offer cobalt radiation treatment to the local community. Since 1975, Grand View’s oncology program has been fully accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Accred-itation by this prestigious organization serves as recognition that the oncology program at Grand View offers quality comprehensive care featuring services and equipment comparable to those at urban academic medical centers; a multi-specialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available; information about cancer clinical trials, education, and support; lifelong patient follow-up through a cancer registry that collects data on the type and stage of cancers and treatment results; and ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.

Today, Grand View continues to build upon its tradition of providing the area’s most sophisticated technology and expertise for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In the course of the last decade, the Hospital has installed high-end medical equipment, computer management systems, and software, including a powerful linear accelerator, magnetic resonance imaging system, and an advanced CT simulator. Grand View is also the only area hospital to offer patients access to either chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both, at one convenient location.

Coopersburg resident Jennifer Paul is among the many patients who have benefited from Grand View’s commitment to providing high end oncology services. Diagnosed with lymphoma in 2000, she underwent 3-D conformal radiation treatment, a technique in which radiation oncologists utilize Grand View’s powerful linear accelerator to target cancerous cells with tremendous accuracy, allowing for more effective radiation therapy.

Now cancer-free for nearly two years, she expresses gratitude for the open attitude and confident expertise of Grand View staff members. “In any form of cancer treatment, if you’re confident in the care and treatment you receive, that is half the battle,” she says. “I felt that the physicians and other caregivers at Grand View were friends. When I had a question, or a concern, they listened. They cared.”

“Grand View physicians and staff always took the time to answer my questions and address my concerns.” — Art Jaeger, Grand View patient and cancer survivor

Pennsburg resident Art Jaeger agrees that the caring atmosphere at Grand View can be as beneficial as the advanced technologies available. A four-year cancer survivor, he received radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy at Grand View beginning in 1999, and has returned at regular intervals for follow-up care to ascertain that his cancer has not recurred.

“When you are first diagnosed with cancer, you face an enormous number of concerns,” he recounts. “You find yourself wondering about everything from, ‘What therapy is best?’ to ‘Am I going to make it?’”

Grand View physicians, nurses, and support staff assisted him by frankly addressing his concerns. “The doctors and other caregivers were always supportive, direct, and honest. They thoroughly explained my options, answered my questions, and told me what outlook could be expected.

“I feel very positive about turning to Grand View for my care. I found the cancer therapies I needed in a caring, supportive environment.”

Grand View Hospital and Fox Chase Cancer Center Announce Network Partnership

Grand View Hospital and Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia have entered into an affiliation agreement, making Grand View a member of the Fox Chase Network. The network is comprised of a select group of community hospitals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware that work cooperatively with Fox Chase to provide the latest in cancer prevention and diagnosis while allowing patients access to cancer treatment in their own communities.

Grand View’s history of providing cancer care dates back to the early 1950s with the use of chemotherapeutic agents, drugs specifically developed for the treatment of cancer. In the mid-1960s, Grand View was the first hospital in the area to offer radiation treatments in the form of cobalt therapy.

According to Alan Kaufman, M.D., Grand View Cancer Center Co-Medical Director, “Patients often face a disturbing dilemma as cancer treatment becomes more complex: The most advanced therapies were previously available only at cancer centers far from home. Through the Fox Chase affiliation, patients now have access to more than 100 investigational treatment protocols right in our community. These include exciting chemoprevention studies.”

Grand View will also have ties to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) through the affiliation. NCCN is a national alliance of 19 of the nation’s leading cancer centers, including Fox Chase, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York. The network develops standards, guidelines, and systems to help assure high-quality, cost-effective cancer care.

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Cancer Information Line

Whether you are undergoing treatment, are seeking providers, or would just like to understand the resources available, the Cancer Information Line at Grand View Hospital can help. Staff members can assist you in accessing current information on diagnosis and treatment of various forms of cancer, and provide details on treatment options and support services available in your community through Grand View Hospital. To contact the Cancer Information Line, call (215) 453-4878.