It is estimated that in the year 2008, 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. It is a disease that affects us all: our friends, family members, even ourselves. As members of Catholic Healthcare West, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, French Hospital Medical Center, and Marian Medical Center have established a reputation on the Central Coast for providing our community with the very best in clinical care and compassionate service. Now, your hometown hospitals are joining together to further enhance the quality of cancer care available to local patients and their families; raising the standard of care, right here at home.
For the past several years, your CHW Central Coast Hospitals have been collectively committed to providing for the healthcare needs of our community. It is a commitment that extends well beyond the limits of conventional medicine in an acute care setting. As such, we are proud to announce that Arroyo Grande Community Hospital’s new Coastal Care and Diagnostic Center, French Hospital Medical Center’s Cancer Care Services and Marian Medical Center’s Marian Cancer Center are now joining together to raise the bar for cancer care. By centralizing services, we are able to provide unprecedented, comprehensive access to a national standard of cancer care in our communities.
The first step in the fight against cancer is early detection and accurate diagnosis. Your CHW Hospitals of the Central Coast offer the very latest in leading edge diagnostic imaging from Digital Mammography, to 1.5 Tesla MRI Scanning, to state-of-the-art digital reporting systems which can provide exam reports to consulting physicians electronically, within minutes of a patient exam.
In addition, CHW Central Coast Hospital imaging services are provided by trained technologists in a number of convenient, private, and aesthetically pleasing sites up and down the Central Coast, from Santa Maria to Morro Bay.
At the CHW Hospitals of the Central Coast, we recognize that every patient is different and a multidisciplinary team approach to individualized care is the cornerstone of the services we provide. All physicians affiliated with the CHW Central Coast hospitals engage in routine collaboration to review the most challenging new cancer cases. In addition, we’re proud to provide access to the latest national clinical trials, ensuring local availability to the cancer treatment medications of tomorrow.
What perhaps most defines the brand of care offered at CHW Central Coast Hospital cancer centers is our holistic approach that addresses not only a patient’s diagnostic and clinical needs, but the spiritual, psychological and emotional needs of our patients as well as their families. We are committed to maintaining dignity and quality of life throughout all aspects of cancer care. The highly skilled, compassionate professionals leading our cancer centers are trained to address educational needs, physical and psychological challenges, family and social impact concerns, and financial support issues. Our patients and their families are also assisted in exploring ways to strengthen their coping skills and well being.
In addition, with professional, one-on-one counseling, the staff members at the Coastal Care and Diagnostic Center, Hearst Cancer Resource Center at French Hospital Medical Center, and Marian Cancer Center work closely with patients and their families, from comprehending an initial diagnosis, to coping with the impact of treatment, to the unique issues involved with cancer survivorship.
From cancer to cardiac care, to everything in between, the CHW Hospitals of the Central Coast remain committed to a collaborative approach to local healthcare. We’re proud of legacy of care in our communities. Through the healing work of our respective cancer programs we will continue to provide the personalized, compassionate care you’ve come to expect to benefit cancer patients in our community for generations to come.
To find out more about the CHW Cancer Centers on the Central Coast, please contact AGCH Media Relations and Communications Manager, Anna Scott at (805) 473-7695 or by email at Anna.Scott@CHW.edu.
