TOMS RIVER – It was a special day for administrators and staff of Hackensack Meridian Health with the official opening of the John Theurer Cancer Center in affiliation with Regional Cancer Care Associates.
The Toms River Regional Cancer Center at 40 Bey Lea Road, will also provide better access to Jersey Shore University Medical Center surgical services and Centers of Excellence in lung, esophageal and hepatobiliary and pancreatic (HPB) cancer, in addition to a surgical team in endocrine, breast, colorectal and gynecological oncology.
Through this affiliation with Regional Cancer Care Associates, patients in the Toms River area will now have access to the expertise, innovation and clinical trials associated with the John Theurer Cancer Center, recognized as the best cancer center in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report.
Chief Executive Officer of Hackensack Meridian Health Robert C. Garrett joined several oncologists and other officials for the recent ribbon cutting ceremony that also included a tour of the facility.
“One of the major goals of our network is to make sure that every New Jersey resident has access to high-quality compassionate care that’s accessible and convenient. Through this affiliation, Regional Cancer Care Associates and John Theurer Cancer Center bring an exceptional lineup of oncologists, surgeons and other specialists offering groundbreaking treatment and access to hundreds of clinical trials,” Garrett said.
He was joined by Dr. Andre Goy, chairman and executive director of John Theurer Cancer Center and other leading physicians and executives for the event. Dr. Goy said that “we live in an era where cancer treatment is changing rapidly. It is much more complex and much more specialized care. We are now bringing this closer to the community and in the context of a post pandemic recovery this is even more and more important to have a closer to home best option.
Dr. Goy said “we are trying to make sure every cancer patient in 2021 has access to the expertise, clinical trials and therapies they need. This is the best time to be in oncology. There has been an acceleration in technology in general but cancer care and health care has improved due to several factors. There is the acceleration of the science from the human genome sequence. We need to reinvent how we do clinical trials and to take advantage of real-world data. There could be more than 80 options on how to treat a patient,” Dr. Goy said.
Dr. Carl Henningson, a specialist in medical oncology and hematology told Jersey Shore Online.com prior to the ceremony about the importance of Toms River area cancer patients being able to access cancer care in the state without leaving their own backyard.
“I think we all have the same common goal of bringing the same expertise that we learned from the top training programs in the country to the community where we can make a difference in patient care,” Dr. Henningson said.
Dr. Henningson said the partnership brings “excellent physicians, surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists and also research to the area that otherwise patients would have to travel an hour or an hour and a half away to get.”
It was noted that the addition of this center was a “game changer” for area residents as there are only a few available across the U.S. and very rare to be combined at one location
“We have heart. We give the TLC that is needed besides the high academics that we are able to achieve. We are seeing a dramatic change in oncology,” said Dr. Kenneth D. Nahum, a specialist in hematology/oncology and internal medicine who has been treating cancer patients in Monmouth and Ocean counties for over two decades. “Ten years ago, we were still seeing a high death rate now we are seeing people living for years and potentially being cured.”
The affiliation with John Theurer Cancer Center will help provide world-class care to the local community while connecting patients to Centers of Excellence for multiple tumor types,” said Dr. Thomas L. Bauer II, chair of Surgery and chief of Thoracic Surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “When patients need surgery, access to those Centers of Excellence will make them more likely to undergo minimally invasive procedures, get out of the hospital faster, experience less pain and fewer complications, and return to work sooner.”
