Hospital Launches Campaign To Build Cancer Center
The Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (AGCH) Foundation today announced that it has accepted generous donations from three local families to help create a new cancer center in southern San Luis Obispo County.
The Foundation accepted three donations of $250,000 from Robin and Stephanie Ventura, Nick and Kathy Tompkins and Carrol and Joan Pruett for a total of $750,000. These monetary donations constitute the largest ever received by Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and will jumpstart the campaign to create the Coastal Cancer Care and Diagnostic Center, a facility fully equipped to care for local cancer patients and their families.
"There is hardly a family anywhere that hasn't been touched by cancer," said Stephanie Ventura. "Robin and I believe the people in the Arroyo Grande area deserve a cancer treatment center that coordinates all aspects of a cancer patient's prescribed treatment."
"Our family is very proud to assist in this much needed project," said Kathy Tompkins. "We're confident the Coastal Cancer Care and Diagnostic Center will make a tremendous difference for local cancer patients and their families."
Carrol Pruett, former President of Mid-State Bank along with his wife, Joan were both instrumental in the groundbreaking of Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in 1961. "Having experienced cancer in our family, we recognize the many benefits the Center will bring to ourarea," says Joan Pruett. "We feel very fortunate to provide support for this most important project."
The Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Coastal Cancer Care and Diagnostic Center will foster a multidisciplinary team approach to cancer care, allowing physicians to coordinate patient's treatment plan resulting not only in better patient outcomes, but also a more comprehensive healing experience. The Center will provide cancer patients and families access to the most current cancer information and innovative treatment options in a comfortable, convenient local setting. The facility will feature the latest in diagnostic technology including digital mammography with stereo-tactic biopsy, MRI and PET/CT scanning. It will also provide ancillary services such as nutritional education, spiritual counseling and other social support.
Arroyo Grande Community Hospital has already been recognized for its compassionate, leading edge care for cancer patients, participating in important clinical research with other institutions like the University of California at San Diego. Additionally, the hospital's Tumor Board meets regularly to discuss and coordinate treatment options for patients. Also AGCH in collaboration with the Coastal Surgical Institute (located in the Pismo Medical campus) recently applied for a Cancer Center designation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).
AGCH Foundation
"The creation of the new Coastal Cancer Care and Diagnostic Center is an active step to further improve the services available for community members battling cancer", says Rick Castro, AGCH President. "This Center is a unique collaborative effort between local physicians and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital. The physicians recognized the value and importance of having a cancer treatment center in the Five Cities area, and it is exciting to see such momentum on what will be a robust project for the hospital. Our goal is to have the doors open by spring," adds Castro.
The Cancer Care Committee consisting of local cancer care physicians and specialists are fully unified in their support of the Coastal Cancer Care and Diagnostic Center. States local Surgeon, Edwin Hayashi, MD and AGCH Cancer Committee Chair; "This is an exciting collaboration between physicians, facilities and community all working together to enhance compassionate cancer treatments for patients in our community."
The Coastal Cancer Care and Diagnostic Center will be located at the Pismo Beach Medical Plaza at 921 Oak Park Blvd. in Pismo Beach adjacent to the Coastal Surgical Institute.
For more information about the new Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Coastal Cancer Care and Diagnostic Center, the AGCH Foundation or additional details about the generous donations to the Foundation for the center, please contact either Montisa Phelan Lopez, AGCH Foundation Executive Director at (805) 994-5421 or Anna Scott, AGCH Communications Manager, at (805) 473-7695.
