Baptist Health Paducah opens nationally accredited cancer center

Grand opening of the Ray and Kay Eckstein Regional Cancer
Care Center. (Photo by Ryan Hermens, The Paducah Sun)

Baptist Health Paducah's new cancer center offers everything in one place to care for cancer patients and is one of 60 cancer centers out of 5,000 that has earned the highest level of accreditation, John Pfeifer reports for The Paducah Sun.

"Our patients are just going to love this," Mike Tutor, executive director for heart, oncology and radiology services, said at its June 27 grand opening ceremony. "Everything is in one place. Treatment will be more convenient and faster since they don't have to go from department to department. Dietary, lab, pharmacy, social work - everything is there, and there is room for a friend or family member to be with their loved ones."

Dr. Peter Locken, a radiation oncologist and member of the Baptist Health Foundation board, added, "We are in the upper 3 to 5 percent of accredited cancer programs in the nation. This is the jewel in our crown."

Bill Brown, president of Baptist Health Paducah, recognized the Eckstein family and members of the Ray and Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust for providing the "lead gift for the cancer center." Brown also offered condolences to the Eckstein family for the loss of Kay Eckstein, who died last week, Pfeifer reports.

"The purpose of this facility," Brown said, "is to make life easier for people fighting this disease."

"The second phase of the project -- renovation of the adjoining 12,000-square-foot radiation therapy suites -- is scheduled for completion later this year,"Pfeifer writes. The 44,000-square-foot Ray and Kay Eckstein Regional Cancer Care Center cost $19.1 million.