Doctors oppose Warrenville cancer center

A group of Winfield oncologists is fighting a proposed $35 million outpatient cancer treatment center to be built in Warrenville by Central DuPage Hospital.

The doctors argue the hospital could save more than $20 million by partnering with them and avoid duplicating services that affect their operation as well as Edward Hospital in Naperville.

The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board will meet Nov. 5 to decide the fate of the project.

The DuPage Oncology Center, located across the street from Central DuPage Hospital's main campus in Winfield, said hospital officials never approached the oncologists about expanding cancer services in the region despite a 20-year relationship.

"Given that the DuPage Oncology Center has treated virtually all of the Central DuPage's patients who need radiation therapy services for the past two decades, the impact of this project would be great," said Barbara Frazin Weiner, attorney for the doctors.

She said the only time hospital officials approached the oncologists was about a buyout proposal that the doctors rejected. Because the hospital owns the property adjacent to the oncology center, she added, a partnership could shave millions of dollars off construction and development costs.

"Why is it necessary to spend this money in order to provide this service, assuming this service is needed, which is something they have failed to demonstrate," Frazin Weiner said.

The proposed outpatient radiation therapy center would be adjacent to the recently approved proton therapy center being built at Mill Street and Warrenville Road in Warrenville, hospital officials said. They said the idea is to have a "one-stop" outpatient cancer treatment service for the region.

Officials from Edward Hospital sent the state board a letter indicating that such a facility "will have a negative impact of approximately 15 percent of the Edward Cancer Center visits." It would be located less than four miles away from the Naperville hospital's campus.

Edward's Vice President of Communications Brian Davis said the letter wasn't sent to oppose the project, but was merely a required impact report as part of Central DuPage's request to the state board.

"Edward is the most preferred provider in the region by a long shot," Davis said. "And we intend to stay that way."

Former Health Facilities Planning Board Chairwoman Pam Taylor also chimed in with her opposition to the project, saying Central DuPage "fails to provide the necessary information or evidence to warrant its approval and in fact, raises more questions about the nature of the project than it purports to answer."

Central DuPage officials said they had not seen the letters opposing the project or Edward's impact statement.