Bringing cancer care closer to home
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Patients across Southeast Kansas now have access to expanded, comprehensive cancer care closer to home thanks to the newly expanded Freeman Physician Group of Pittsburg – Oncology Services.
Located at 1201 Centennial Drive, the expanded portion of the facility recently opened following a year-long, $14 million expansion project that tripled its size, creating one of the region’s most advanced cancer treatment centers. During the expansion the facility never closed.
“It’s great to be open,” said Ben Blair, Oncology Service Line Director for Freeman Health System. “Dr. Boban Mathew and his team are incredibly important to this community, and they’ve been serving patients in a space that no longer reflected the level of care being delivered. This project has been four to five years in the making. The high-quality care has always been there. Now the facility matches that excellence.”
The expansion significantly enhances both medical and radiation oncology services. New additions include a state-of-the-art compounding pharmacy, an advanced PET/CT scanner, and a new linear accelerator, which uses targeted radiation to destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The linear accelerator is housed within a specially constructed treatment area reinforced with 340 tons of protective concrete.
The project also allowed the chemotherapy department and infusion services to move into a dedicated treatment area designed to improve patient comfort and access. In addition, parking capacity has been expanded to better serve patients and their families.
“I think the expansion has already improved patient access,” Blair said. “We now have more space and additional infusion chairs, allowing us to care for more patients while keeping their treatment close to home. That continuity of care is incredibly important, and we’re already seeing patients from throughout Southeast Kansas.”
Blair said Freeman will continue investing in services offered at the Pittsburg location. “It’s really about continuing to build on the foundation we’ve created,” he said. “We want to expand imaging services and make those resources available to patients, specialists and providers throughout the region.”