Bates County Memorial Hospital Begins Infusion Center Renovation for Cancer Care and More
Bates County Memorial Hospital (BCMH) has offered cancer
care including chemotherapy and other infusions for years, but starting this
month, the hospital has begun renovating an existing space for an Infusion
Center to serve patients who need treatments for cancer and other conditions.
The project is currently underway and is projected to open
in June 2024. This renovation will include a shift from offering infusions in
Outpatient Clinic spaces to its own dedicated, larger area located under the
hospital’s emergency department, utilizing what was once a training area for
staff. Once fully furnished, the
Infusion Center will accommodate up to 10 patients.
The Oncology and Hematology infusion clinic at BCMH
currently serves over 160 patients ranging from Bates and surrounding
communities, including Henry, St. Clair, Cass and Vernon counties with an
average of about 300 infusions per month.
“We have seen growth in this area, and this renovation will
allow us to move, expand and update our current infusion rooms to a separate,
dedicated area,” said Outpatient Specialty Clinic Manager Ann Donnohue, RN, who
has been closely involved in project plans. “This will combine our current
setting with private and semi-private infusion bays. It will also allow us to
add more specialties to be housed in the current infusion space, while
expanding the area that we have available for infusions to meet the growing
needs of our community.”
When someone has cancer, they often don’t realize their
treatment path will include multiple visits. A cancer treatment plan can be
exhausting for both patients and their caregivers in many ways, and having
local access to these services is a benefit.
“Patients and their caregivers are already under a lot of
stress including emotional, physical and financial strain,” Ann said. “Infusion
centers are purposely designed to provide a calm environment for people
receiving chemotherapy and other types of infusions.”
Bates County Memorial Hospital has received donations to
assist with the project. In 2023, Bates County Community Health Foundation donated
$10,000 for the purchase of two patient infusion chairs, and Montrose School
District recently donated proceeds from the Blue Jays’ 2024 Pink Night
fundraiser to the Infusion Center renovation project.
For more information, visit www.bcmhospital.com/news/
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