New Siteman Cancer Center would bring cancer care closer to thousands, applicants say
More than 3,000 cancer patients who live in the metro-east wouldn’t have to drive to St. Louis for treatment if a proposed Siteman Cancer Center in Shiloh is approved, according to an application from the health-care group wanting to build the center.
Mark Turner, president of Memorial Regional Health Services, announced a proposal to build the $38.3 million center near Memorial Hospital East earlier this week. Memorial Regional Health Services is an umbrella health-care group that includes BJC HealthCare and Memorial Group.
In 2016, Siteman facilities in Missouri provided outpatient radiation therapy treatment to 3,228 residents from the metro-east, according to the application. The health care group estimates 95 percent of those patients will be able to stay in Illinois to receive treatments.
Eventually, more than 9,200 outpatient radiation therapy treatments could be provided provided on an annual basis after the center becomes established in the community, according to the application, which became available for public viewing Friday afternoon.
A medical office building was already planned for Shiloh, but the health-care group withdrew its initial application and replaced it with plans that includes Siteman as the primary occupant of the building.
The three-story, 70,650-square-foot cancer center “will bring a broad scope of oncology-related services to the campus.” The first floor will house cancer treatment services and physician offices, while the second and third floors will primarily housing physician office space.
The anticipated completion date for the center is Dec. 15, 2019.
The proposed center would also be affiliated with the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, the only cancer center within a 200-mile radius of western and Southern Illinois recognized by the National Cancer Institute as a “cutting-edge” treatment facility, according to the application.
Services would include radiation therapy, doctors who have special training in treating and diagnosing cancer, community-based prevention programs, access to Siteman clinical trials and other services. Additionally, St. Louis-based Siteman cancer specialists would hold regular office hours in Shiloh and video conferencing would allow access to resources in St. Louis.
The Cancer Center in Swansea was initially considered as a potential location for the Siteman center, but the Memorial Hospital East campus location on Interstate 64 offers better access, according to the application. The Swansea center’s radiation therapy program would be moved to the new center.
Memorial recently bought The Cancer Center from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
The application still needs approval from the the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board before the project can move forward. The deadline to request a public hearing is Dec. 26 and the deadline for written comment is Feb. 7.
BJC HealthCare recently applied to take full ownership of Memorial Group, which operates three hospitals in the metro-east in Belleville, Shiloh and Alton, along with more than a dozen doctors offices.
Siteman was developed as a cooperative venture between Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Memorial Regional Health Services, Metro-East Services, Memorial Group, BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians filed the application.
This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 5:21 PM with the headline "New Siteman Cancer Center would bring cancer care closer to thousands, applicants say."