Healthcare Industry News: ProCure Treatment Centers
News Release - March 6, 2008
ProCure Treatment Centers Partners With Beaumont Hospitals for First Proton Beam Therapy Center in Michigan
Joint Venture Formed to Offer Proton Therapy Cancer Treatment in 2010BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--ProCure Treatment Centers Inc. and Beaumont Hospitals have announced an agreement to invest $159 million in Michigan to develop the state’s first proton beam therapy center. The center is expected to be operational by 2010. Beaumont filed a Certificate of Need application on March 3 with the state’s Department of Community Health for approval to develop the facility.
“We are partnering with Beaumont because of its reputation as one of the premier radiation oncology centers in the country,” says Hadley Ford, CEO of ProCure Treatment Centers Inc.
“By partnering with ProCure, we are able to combine its expertise in developing proton therapy centers with Beaumont’s clinical excellence to bring this life-saving technology to cancer patients as cost effectively and quickly as possible,” says Kenneth Matzick, president and CEO, Beaumont Hospitals. “We are also inviting other major cancer programs to join us in this collaborative venture. Credentialed physicians from across the state will be able to bring their patients to this center for proton treatment.”
“Proton therapy is the most precise and effective form of radiation therapy available today. It can precisely target a tumor, reducing radiation exposure to healthy tissues and reducing side effects, allowing patients to receive stronger, more effective treatment doses,” states Frank Vicini, M.D., chief, Oncology Services, Beaumont Hospitals.
Proton therapy is an outpatient procedure for most solid tumors, including those cancers of the head and neck, pelvis, prostate and orbital cancer. One benefit of proton beam therapy is that it can be used to treat recurrent cancer while standard radiation therapy cannot. Nearly all U.S. insurance companies cover proton therapy, as does Medicare.
The new center will not only save lives: it will bring significant economic growth to Michigan by generating $34 million in construction costs and more than 400 new construction jobs in the region. Once the center is operational, it will create an additional 100 high-paying health care jobs with an average salary of $85,000 per year. Based on the experiences of other proton beam centers in the country, people will travel to Southeast Michigan for the therapy from other states or countries, contributing another $22-$32 million to the local economy through hotels, restaurants and other services.
Beaumont diagnoses more cancer patients than any other hospital in the state and is a leading provider of radiation oncology in Michigan. The proton center will have the capacity to treat more than 1,500 cancer patients a year and will be the only facility in the country with a room dedicated to clinical research. Through research, Beaumont plans to become the national expert for treatment of recurrent cancer with proton therapy.
Nearly 50,000 people worldwide have received proton therapy at centers in Europe, Asia and the United States. This center will be the eighth in the United States and the first in Michigan.
About ProCure Treatment Centers Inc.
ProCure Treatment Centers Inc., based in Bloomington, Ind., was founded in 2005 by Dr. John Cameron, a particle therapy physics pioneer who was pivotal in the development of the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute. ProCure provides management support and a model for the complete design, construction, operation and maintenance of world-class proton therapy centers. ProCure’s solution reduces the time, effort and cost involved in developing a proton treatment facility.
Through partnerships with leading radiation oncology groups and hospitals, ProCure enables physicians to focus on delivering the highest level of patient care. ProCure plans to develop a network of proton therapy facilities across the country to make proton therapy more affordable and accessible to cancer patients. For more information, visit www.procurecenters.com.
About Beaumont Hospitals
Beaumont is a world leader in radiation oncology research and treatment. Beaumont radiation oncologists and physicists have invented and patented new technology, enhancing therapeutic radiation’s effectiveness and reducing treatment time.
Beaumont’s Royal Oak hospital ranks 38th for cancer on the 2007 list of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.
Beaumont Hospitals is a three-hospital regional health care provider with 1,696 licensed beds, 18,000 employees and 3,000 physicians in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. In addition to its hospitals, Beaumont operates numerous community-based medical centers in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, five nursing centers, a Research Institute, home care services and hospice. Visit Beaumont on the Web at www.beaumonthospitals.com
Source: ProCure Treatment Centers
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