Inside Duke Medicine
Regional reopens Radiation Oncology Clinic
posted October 20th, 2008
Durham Regional Hospital reopens radiation oncology unit.
Durham Regional Hospital CEO Kerry Watson (left center) and Bridget Koontz, M.D., (right center) medical director of Radiation Oncology at DRH, cut a ribbon Oct. 15 to celebrate the reopening of the hospital’s Radiation Oncology Clinic, as radiation oncology staff members look on.
The clinic was closed from March through September while a new, state-of-the-art linear accelerator machine was installed.
The machine provides treatment for breast, prostate, head and neck, lung, gastrointestinal and skin cancers, as well as lymphoma, brain tumors and palliation for metastatic disease.
It has the ability to perform Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy, which helps reduce side effects from treatment, and Stereotactic Radiation Therapy, which provides focused conformable high dose treatments for recurrent or inoperable tumors.
The ribbon cutting was followed by an open house, where Radiation Oncology staff gave tours of the linear accelerator to Durham Regional employees and physicians.
“It is great to be able to offer our patients the most advanced technology in a comfortable community hospital setting,” Koontz said.
Photo by Tom Wooters