The Daily News: Kaisers New Oncology

I have not been to this new treatment center yet.. my next visit on April 22nd will be my first time.. It sounds nice!! (Doesn't make going any more fun) Kaiser's new oncology clinic a spacious room for improvement By Cheryll A. Borgaard / The Daily News | Posted: Thursday, April 8, 2010 | "Like night and day" is what patients and staff are saying about Kaiser-Permanente's new oncology/hematology clinic in Longview. "At the other place, I could reach my arm out and literally touch the other person next to me," patient Debbie Williamson said Thursday while receiving her chemotherapy treatment. "You really didn't have any room for any visitors, and if somebody came, everyone could hear what you talked about." The 9,200-square-foot $4.8 million expansion, which started in June, finished about a month earlier than planned. It's the biggest expansion ever for the 26-year-old medical center on Seventh Avenue, and offers a treatment area five times larger than the old clinic. It replaces the cramped quarters of seven beds, where patients had about 35 square feet surrounding them. In the new clinic, 10 treatment areas offer about 80 square feet — more than double the space — plus shelves and storage for belongings and TV and Internet access to help pass the long hours of treatments. There also are two private treatment rooms. Patient comfort and safety are at the forefront in the new clinic's airy design and layout. The decor, with its soft, earth-toned walls and large windows overlooking a rainwater-fed garden, strives to offer a sense of serenity. Heat radiating from the floor warms patients, who often get the chills while undergoing chemotherapy. "We're trying to make it as pleasant an atmosphere as we can for patients who are undergoing what can be unpleasant times," said Kaiser medical office manager Karen Carter. Kaiser's expansion comes in response to an aging population, as well as advancing treatment options with a higher success rate. Longview is the only oncology unit in Washington for Kaiser patients. The only cancer treatment local Kaiser patients will still have to travel to Portland for is radiation. Williamson, 56, of Kelso is being treated for lymphoma. Thursday was her third of six chemotherapy treatments. In addition to the new, lighter and more spacious environment, she also is appreciating the new infusion chairs. "The others were a mish-mash of styles. I tried to get there early to get a big black recliner that was my favorite, because six hours is a long time," she said. She also pointed out the side trays on the new chairs and the ability to adjust the chair levels and positions using a remote control, rather than manually like the old chairs. Other amenities in the addition include an on-site kitchen, four nursing stations, three offices for oncology physicians and counselors, a library with two computer work stations for patients and families to research health and medical information and a separate pharmacy specializing in cancer treatment medications. The entrance is separate from the main part of the building, keeping germ exposure from patients in other waiting areas at a minimum. Though the new clinic has an airy design and layout, offering a more serene setting for patients, some were concerned about the move, said Kim O'Neill, team lead RN at the clinic. "Many patients were anxious about making this move because they were very concerned they would lose the intimacy and closeness they shared," she said. "Now that they've moved over here and experienced it, they love it. There is the same closeness here among patients and staff." Kathy Goforth, 55, who is receiving treatment for colon cancer, was one of those hesitant patients, according to her husband, Steve. "At first, Kathy thought (the former clinic) was close and homey," he said. " But now that she's been here a couple of times, she sees that she can still visit with other people." "Part of the whole cancer aspect is sharing with somebody else. It makes it a little more bearable, to understand you're not alone," he said. "I was sure it would be OK with the open room format. The more positive the environment, the better it is for your spirit." O'Neill said it's not only the current patients who appreciate the new clinic, but many previous patients also have come to check it out. "Yesterday, I had a patient from 14 years ago come to look at the space and congratulate us," she said. "And there was a woman from 10 years ago, when she passed the corner and could see the treatment area, tears started streaming down her face, she was so happy for us and the patients here." O'Neill said another former patient, who has to return for more treatment, told her, "I know this is weird, but I'm excited to come back." Timothy Luchau was watching the History Channel Thursday while he received his second of three chemo treatments for tongue carcinoma. He said he didn't mind the previous quarters, but "it was very confining and small — everybody was stacked in there. Now you've got a view, you can get up and walk around if you want. You've got headphones for the TV. It's great." Hyatt Yu, specialty care manager at the clinic, said, the old clinic did offer a sense of closeness and intimacy among the patients, "but it didn't have the kind of room we felt the staff and patients deserve." Yu said one of the most important aspects of the new clinic's design is the space each bay offers for loved ones to be with the patient. "There's a focal area," he said. "It promotes a sense of we're all in this together."