Kings County Hospital Receives $3.5M from City Council Brooklyn Delegation to Expand Cancer Care
Funds Will Be Used to Purchase New Linear Accelerator To Provide Radiation Therapy for Cancer Patients
Feb 24, 2012
Kings County Hospital Center (KCHC), a New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation facility, today received $3.5 million from New York City Council Members Mathieu Eugene and Darlene Mealey, on behalf of the City Council Brooklyn delegation, to purchase a new linear accelerator to provide radiation therapy to hundreds of patients served by the KCHC Cancer Care Center. The $3.5 million check was presented at the hospital’s Annual Legislative Breakfast to George M. Proctor, North & Central Brooklyn Health Network Senior Vice President; Roslyn S. Weinstein, Acting Executive Director of Kings County; and John Jurenko, Senior Assistant Vice President, HHC Intergovernmental Relations.
“The addition of the new linear accelerator further enhances our commitment to provide comprehensive cancer prevention, detection and treatment to the residents of Central Brooklyn,” said George M. Proctor, Senior Vice President of the North & Central Brooklyn Health Network. “We are grateful for the continued support and this generous funding from the City Council Members of Brooklyn.” Council Member Darlene Mealy joined in presenting the check to Mr. Proctor, Ms. Weinstein, and staff from the Cancer Care Center including Emmanuel Nwokedi, MD, Chief of Radiation Oncology. Several other elected officials attended and gave remarks pledging support for the hospital’s crucial role in the community: NYS Senator Kevin Parker, NYS Assemblywoman Inez Baron and Brooklyn Deputy Borough President Sandra Chapman.
“Kings County Hospital deserves to have the best technology to fight deadly cancers and other diseases. The acquisition of a linear accelerator will enable doctors, nurses and medical professionals at Kings County Hospital to deliver the highest standards of cancer treatment to the community. I am proud to secure this funding for the hospital and serve as an advocate for healthcare throughout the borough,” said Council Member Mathieu Eugene.
A linear accelerator is used to treat cancer by delivering radiation to the region of the patient’s tumor. The treatment can be designed in such a way that it destroys the cancer cells while sparing the surrounding normal tissue. The new machine will be used to accommodate the growing number of cancer patients who are coming to KCHC for treatment and support services. There are more than 600 new cancer cases diagnosed at KCHC every year. The hospital’s Cancer Care Center, which opened in 2010, provides comprehensive, one-stop shop services including oncology, chemotherapy, surgery, medicine, pharmacy, nutrition, social services and psycho-social support. The new linear accelerator will provide 200 additional cancer patients with more precise and advanced radiation treatment modalities. It will be one of two linear accelerators used at the cancer center.
Contact : Ian Michaels (HHC) (212) 788-3339
About KCHC
Kings County Hospital Center (KCHC) is a 627-bed facility that serves the communities of Central Brooklyn, East New York-New Lots and Flatbush. KCHC, a teaching hospital, is part of NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), and the Central Brooklyn Family Health Network. KCHC is a Level I Trauma Center for Adults and the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in Brooklyn. It is a NYSDOH Designated AIDS Center; a Stroke Center; and has also been designated as a Center of Excellence for Diabetes and for Parkinson Disease. KCHC has played a major role in providing health care to vulnerable populations in Brooklyn since 1831.
About HHC
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlusHealth, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychhc.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.