Our philosophy of caring for people with cancer includes a best practice, coordinated and multidisciplinary team approach of nurses, social workers, dietitians, statisticians, therapists, chaplains and rehabilitation specialists, led by oncologists who specialize in cancer care. Primary care physicians play a significant role in caring for people with cancer, as do pathologists and radiologists. Patients are the hearts of these individualized teams.

Mount Nittany Medical Center began offering cancer services in 1974. Since that time, our cancer services have matured in response to need, achieved impressive levels of commendation, and been partnered with services offered by other institutions to create a truly comprehensive program. As a founding member of the Penn State Cancer Institute, we are working with our partners – The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Lehigh Valley Health System – to achieve National Cancer Institute designation as a “comprehensive cancer center.” That distinction would make us one of only 40 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country.

Our biggest challenge in improving and expanding our cancer program is space. We need dedicated space befitting the reputation of our program – space that supports our philosophy of patient- and family-centered care. The cancer program at Mount Nittany Medical Center has outgrown its space in the Health Sciences wing of the Medical Center. As we expand our philosophy and our oncology team, and incorporate new technologies and features into our program, we recognize the need to move our support and treatment programs into shared space. This makes good sense for our patients – cancer services should be housed together to support cancer patients’ unique healthcare needs.

The addition of a floor to the Health Sciences wing of the Medical Center will provide an additional 10,000 square feet of space. It is our goal to house outpatient treatment areas, the administrative offices of the Penn State Cancer Institute, radiation oncology services, support group meeting space, and physician and research offices in a facility dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research. This cancer pavilion will support patients and families by creating space where people can access the many services they may need to cope with cancer.

We have begun the work on transforming our cancer center already. We are right now building a highly-specialized vault to house a new state-of-the-art linear accelerator, a Varian Trilogy. This linear accelerator is designed to deliver intensity-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided and gated radiation therapy, the newest techniques in radiation oncology. This project will cost the Medical Center upwards of $6 million, but it is vitally important to delivering the best kind of cancer treatment.

These expansion plans will enable the community to continue to receive care in a compassionate environment, and will also usher in an era of significant growth and advancement for Mount Nittany Medical Center. We know it cannot happen without the support of you – our community. As a result, we are reaching out to begin our first capital campaign, a Commitment to Distinction. The generosity of our community will ensure our shared vision – a future for Mount Nittany Medical Center that combines medical research and education with superb medical care to create an advanced regional medical center with a community hospital underpinning. We are grateful for the support you continue to provide.

Thomas J. Murray, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer