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BHS In the Community

BHS Announces New Cancer Center
August 1, 2012 Berkshire Health Systems Announces Development of New BMC Cancer Center: BHS and Berkshire Hematology/Oncology Partner in Comprehensive Cancer Care As Berkshire County experiences up to 700 new cancer cases per year, Berkshire Health Systems President and CEO David E. Phelps announced today that BHS and Berkshire Hematology/Oncology have formed a partnership to develop and open a new Cancer Center at Berkshire Medical Center, providing comprehensive cancer care services for patients throughout the county and surrounding region. The new BMC Cancer Center is a $30 million investment by Berkshire Health Systems to be located at the Hillcrest Campus of BMC, featuring state-of-the-art care for the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of cancer. The Center will utilize the expertise of highly trained, board certified medical, hematological, radiation and surgical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and other physician specialists to provide comprehensive care with the most advanced technology in a picturesque, calm and healing environment. Berkshire Hematology/Oncology’s physicians – Michael DeLeo, MD, Harvey Zimbler, MD, and Paul Rosenthal, MD – will be joining BMC’s Physician Practice organization, with new offices at the Hillcrest Campus of BMC, and will be joined in 2013 by Trevor Bayliss, MD, a fellowship trained hematologic oncologist and native of Williamstown. The new BMC Cancer Center will provide a wide range of patient care services under one roof, including Hematology/Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology consultation and numerous support services designed to help make the cancer patient’s care easily accessible and seamless among multiple disciplines. “This partnership between Berkshire Hematology/Oncology will continue to improve the level of care that patients receive in Berkshire County in both hematologic and oncologic problems,” said Dr. DeLeo. “I view this Center as a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Dr. Zimbler. “This is the melding of two very strong partners. In this current healthcare world, having a strong financial partner in Berkshire Health Systems is allowing us to always be advocating for our patients and their healthcare, and we’re fortunate that BHS provides that for us.” The primary goal of the newly redesigned and expanded Cancer Center and program is to improve the care of patients in need of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up support and services, combining all of the cancer care disciplines into one center. The Center will feature easier patient access, greater privacy, multiple cancer care disciplines in one location, a range of on-site support services and the latest treatments and technologies to care for cancer patients and their families. “I’m very excited about the new center, for my patients,” said Dr. Rosenthal. “This is an opportunity to have care delivered in a brand new facility. From the perspective of the physicians and the health system, this is an opportunity to work together to produce a new way of doing things for our patients.” “What excites me is thinking through the patient’s perspective, walking into this new center, sitting in the waiting room with these beautiful surroundings – coming to an oncology visit carries with it a degree of anxiety for a lot of patients – and to be able to come into a center with a surrounding like that is relaxing,” said Dr. Bayliss. “This may seem small, but it makes a big difference to the patient. I chose to come to Berkshire Health Systems so that I could return to the area I grew up in and be able to serve the people of this beautiful county.” With the addition of the physicians of Berkshire Hematology/Oncology to the BMC Physician Practice group, and the recruitment of Dr. Bayliss, patients will have enhanced coordination of care among cancer care specialties and expanded physician access throughout the county. Berkshire Health Systems has long provided comprehensive cancer care services and has been cited nationally by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons with two Outstanding Achievement Awards, but the numerous cancer care disciplines were located in a number of different locations. For the cancer patient and his or her family, the new BMC Cancer Center will bring these services together, and will make the coordination of care with other medical and surgical specialties and physician practices in the community easier and more seamless. “This is about having the potential for radiation oncology and medical oncology to be situated in the same location, and for patients to be able to access the subspecialties of oncology without having to travel, and without having to do anything other than centralize their care at one large, highly skilled, very specialized cancer center,” said Dr. Zimbler.