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In the spring of 1998, Sharon MacDonald approached the Lee
Memorial Health System Board of Directors with a big request.
Sharon, who had been hired by LMHS only a few months before,
needed funding to develop and expand the cancer program in
Lee County with better coordination between acute and
outpatient treatment. “There wasn’t a single person in that
room who thought that I could go in as a newbie, and that
the Board would approve my request,” Sharon says. “But the
Board members took a giant leap of faith.”
Sharon left that meeting with $5 million. That was the
beginning of a comprehensive cancer program in Lee County, a
dream Sharon shared with Dr. James Orr Jr., Medical Director
of Lee Cancer Care and Florida Gynecologic Oncology.
What followed was a whirlwind of facility and staff
development, the revamping and creation of dietary and
educational programs and the establishment of services that
support the mind, body and spirit. “If you’re going to be a
comprehensive program, you need to have the pieces to
support the patients and their families,” says Sharon, who
is now the Vice President of Oncology Services for LMHS.
However, the culmination of the past decade’s progress in
cancer care can be seen near the corner of Interstate 75 and
Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers. The 63,000-square-foot
Regional Cancer Center, which opens Oct. 20, is the crown
jewel of the cancer program and a true partnership between
LMHS and its private physician partners, 21st Century
Oncology, Florida Gynecologic Oncology and Florida Cancer
Specialists.
Physicians were at the table for every discussion regarding
the Regional Cancer Center, which is a multi-disciplinary
hub for cancer care, says Dr. Orr. “I came to Fort Myers 13
years ago to build a cancer center like this one, and we
knew it would take a huge amount of trust from the
physicians. Every time we came to an obstacle, we built a
bridge across it,” he says.
A comprehensive cancer program is especially vital with the
changes in treatments that are emerging so rapidly, as well
as the growing number of cancer patients. According to the
American Cancer Society, 1.44 million Americans will be
diagnosed with cancer this year, and 566,000 will lose the
battle. Lee County sees at least 5,000 new cancer patients
every year, says Sharon.
The new Regional Cancer Center is more than just steel beams
and drywall and electrical wires. It’s more than a place for
cancer patients and their families to see physicians, take
classes and receive treatment from nearly every aspect of
cancer care under one roof. “It’s a place of hope. It’s a
place of healing. It is a destination point,” says Sharon.
“This is a place where cancer patients can come and know
that they do not have to fight this disease all on their
own. We will fight with them, every step of the way.”
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