A decade of serving communities in the Southern Interior

Not knowing what was in store for her in her battle against breast cancer, Cheryl Macdonald recalls feeling like a “deer caught in headlights” during her first appointment at the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior three years ago.

But any anxiety she felt quickly disappeared upon meeting the staff at the Centre.

“The staff were so calm and helpful, and it made the experience much easier to cope with,” recalls Macdonald, a 51-year old bank manager who underwent surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer. “They treat you like you’re somebody and not just a cancer patient. Even now, when I go back to the Centre, they still remember my name and take time to ask how I’m doing.”

“There are so many people and resources at the BC Cancer Agency to help you through your journey: from the doctors, nurses, dietitians, counsellors and volunteers to the library and courses on relaxation and managing life after cancer,” adds MacDonald. “If anyone is unfortunate enough to have cancer, they should feel reassured knowing they’re in great hands. We’re lucky to have such a great cancer centre so close to home.”

MacDonald is one of over 20,000 individuals the BC Cancer Agency's Centre for the Southern Interior has treated over the last 10 years. She will be joining staff and the community at an open house on Saturday, April 5 to celebrate the Centre for the Southern Interior’s 10^th anniversary.

“Congratulations to the dedicated staff, community stakeholders, partners and volunteers who have made the BC Cancer Agency Centre for the Southern Interior such a success over the past 10 years,” said Health Minister George Abbott. “Through government investments in prevention, treatment and research, B.C. has created a cancer care system recognized as a model for other provinces.”

In the first year it opened, the BC Cancer Agency's Centre for the Southern Interior treated approximately 1,500 patients. Today, the Centre treats over 2,000 new patients a year and serves a population of about 720,000. The Centre also provides support for regional community cancer centres in the Southern Interior.

The BC Cancer Agency's Centre for the Southern Interior in Kelowna is one of four regional centres that are at the heart of the Agency’s provincial cancer control network, with a fifth to open this summer in Abbotsford. The BC Cancer Agency is an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority whose primary role is to ensure that B.C. residents have access to a coordinated network of high-quality specialized health care services.

“It really is through the work of the committed staff at the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior and other locations that have helped make the Agency a leader in Canada for cancer treatment and research,” said PHSA Board of Directors Chair Wynne Powell.

Over the past decade, patients from across the Southern Interior have benefited from the addition of new programs offered at the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior. This includes Telehealth services, launched in 2004, allowing patients in satellite centres to remotely consult with oncologists in Kelowna by video link and reducing their need to travel. The Centre also launched a brachytherapy program in April 2007, reducing the need for eligible prostate cancer patients to travel to Vancouver for this specialized radiotherapy treatment.

“Our commitment to improving the quality of care our patients receive is at the heart of all of our activities,” says Dr. Marianne Taylor, Medical Director, BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior. “This is very much a patient-centred treatment facility, and all of our staff members are committed to working together as a team to help make a difference for those touched by cancer.”

To celebrate its 10^th anniversary, the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior invites patients, their families and the community to an open house on Saturday, April 5, from 11 am to 2 pm, at 399 Royal Avenue in Kelowna. For more information, please call 712.3900.