Mercy cancer center opens to first patients

Bob Guilfoyle was the first patient Wednesday at Mercy Cancer Care Unit of Hope. Funding used to build the unit was made up of contributions from the community.(Submitted Photo)

Bob Guilfoyle has followed the same routine almost every morning since February. He wakes at his normal time, dresses, eats breakfast and ventures out to receive yet another chemotherapy treatment. However, on Wednesday, Guilfoyle headed down a different path.

Previously, Guilfoyle was greeted with good mornings and warm wishes in the lower level of Mercy Hospital. Today, he walked into a fresh, newly remodeled area on the main level near the physicians' offices.

As the first patient to receive treatment at the new Mercy Cancer Care Unit of Hope, Guilfoyle said the difference is like night and day. "There is no way to compare the old space with the new," he said in a news release.

"The treatments make me tired and I wear out easy," Guilfoyle added. "This new space is so open and welcoming, filled with light and comfortable surroundings that my spirits are lifted just by what's around me."

In just over a year from the kick-off event to launch the fundraising campaign, the Mercy Foundation Board has seen the labors of love become reality.

"I recall visiting the old cancer care unit space in late spring 2010," said Amanda Hale, Mercy Foundation Board vice president.

"I was startled by the limited space," Hale noted. "Although the nurses were giving excellent care, the treatments chairs were full but there was no space for caregivers or privacy. What the foundation board envisioned to be a tranquil place for healing is now before my eyes."

Mercy President/CEO Reta Baker said the hospital's goal is to provide the best possible care, which encompasses the whole person.

"The intent was to design this space so it truly meets our patients' expectations of comfort and convenience," Baker said in the release.

The new space features six chemotherapy/infusion stations with a recliner and personal television, a private infusion room, two private consultation rooms, a spacious treatment area with natural sunlight, a large waiting area, a nourishment center and mail floor access.

The previous cancer center included about 400 square feet while the new one features 1,800 square feet, hospital spokeswoman Tina Rockhold said.

"There was not even adequate space for a caregiver to sit beside a loved one," she added. Often, they would have to find another area while their loved one or friend was undergoing treatment. "And that's not the case any longer."

Baker expressed heartfelt gratitude to the community for their support of the project.

"But this beautiful space would not have been possible without the support of the Mercy Foundation Board, the Mercy Auxiliary, the Mercy physicians and so many, many others who understood the need of this campaign," Baker added. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The financial goal for the center was $250,000 and Rockhold said pledges and contributions now amount to $268,000 -- an impressive feat considering the sluggish economy.

"That's just evidence that there was such a need here that people understood the importance of having that new space," Rockhold said.

As for future projects, Rockhold said nothing has been decided yet.

"I think we'll probably have some type of a fairly clear direction of where we need to go within the next three to six months," she said.