Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centre 10-year milestone

Above left (L-R): Deputy Director Medical Physics, Jo McNamara, Nurse Unit Manager, Amy Windisch, Centre construction site managers - former staff members, Marianne and Adrian Rinks and Deputy Chief Radiation Therapist, Carol Ragusa.
Above right (L-R): ISLHD Medical Co-Director Cancer Services, Professor Lorraine Chantrill, ISLHD Director Radiation Therapy, Anthony Arnold and ISLHD Nursing Co-Director Cancer Services, Nicola Ryan.

The Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centre has reached a significant milestone in providing care closer to home for the local community, with the facility marking its tenth anniversary.      

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) Chief Executive, Margot Mains, has paid tribute to the many staff and volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the past decade to support more than 10,000 local patients.

“The SCCC is an integral part of the District’s Cancer Care Services, providing a range of specialised cancer care and treatments to people in the Shoalhaven and South Coast,” Ms Mains said.

Services provided at the Centre include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, blood management and infusions, plus a wide range of patient support services.

ISLHD Medical Co-Director Cancer Services Professor Lorraine Chantrill said the Centre truly changed the landscape of cancer care services in the Shoalhaven area when it opened in 2013, enabling the community to access care and treatment closer to home and reducing the need to travel to Wollongong or Sydney.

“The SCCC has continued to evolve over the past 10 years, including an increase to eight chairs in the Oncology Day Centre and the installation of a second Linear Accelerator, providing greater access to radiotherapy treatments. We’ve also seen the Centre’s capacity expand over the past decade, with significant increases in the number of patients able to access treatment each month, Professor Chantrill said.

ISLHD Nursing Co-Director Cancer Services Nicola Ryan said as was the case with the planning and construction of the SCCC, and in the time since it opened, the community has been at the centre of everything that’s been achieved.

“The accommodation lodge located adjacent to the SCCC was made possible thanks to $1 million raised by the local community through the Shoalhaven LINAC committee, and subsequent donations and fundraising efforts have continued to support the SCCC and its services,” Ms Ryan said.

“We also acknowledge the many staff who have worked at the Centre over the past 10 years and provided high quality clinical care, integrated management, and specialised support for people in the Shoalhaven who have cancer or a blood disorder.

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate this 10-year milestone at the SCCC and look forward to the next 10 years as we continue to provide these important services to our local community,” Ms Mains said.