Cancer center can serve as model
We at the Northern Illinois Proton Treatment Center (NIPTRC) and the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation (NMFF) believe the future of medical care lies in treating illnesses from a comprehensive approach that focuses on patient care and welfare. That's why we hope the example we're setting here in Illinois will be a model for health policy makers at the state, regional and national levels.
What will distinguish our center is our comprehensive approach to all aspects of cancer patient care at a facility that will be home to a research center devoted to developing new high energy physics treatments.
High energy physics can be harnessed to treat some of the most deadly cancers with keenly focused precision, like the proton beam therapy we will use when NIPTRC begins treating patients in 2010. This precision spares normal tissue, thereby increasing the odds of eradicating the tumor with the lowest chance of side effects. NIPTRC and NMFF share a commitment to investing the proceeds from cancer treatment in advancing the treatment of patients. NIPTRC and NMFF will invest the proceeds of our clinical work into advancing the field, and then spreading our findings by training the next generation of cancer specialists and publishing the results of our work to the medical community. That's how NIPTRC and NMFF have created a standard for advanced proton cancer treatment that will provide unparalleled, high quality cancer treatment to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. At the heart of our new approach is an unwavering commitment to provide a holistic approach to treatment.
In an effort to make health care available to all Americans, the years ahead will likely bring new policy approaches to health care that emphasize innovative medical treatments and comprehensive services. The Northern Illinois Proton Treatment and Research Center will be a model for our country in not only providing those treatments, but also in developing new ones as well.
Dr. Bharat Mittal
Chairman, Radiation Oncology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
John L. Lewis
Executive Director
Northern Illinois Proton Treatment Center