June 18, 2009

Rogue Valley Medical Center Auxiliary Donates $50,000 for TomoTherapy

The Rogue Valley Medical Center Auxiliary has donated $50,000 to Dubs Cancer Center in support of its new TomoTherapy cancer treatment system.

"The Auxiliary is thrilled to be able to provide continued support of the TomoTherapy program," said Karin Guy, Director of Volunteer & Pastoral Care Services at Asante Health System.

Last year, the RVMC Auxiliary gave $50,000 towards the purchase of the TomoTherapy machine. This year, the ongoing dedication, commitment and hard work of the RVMC Auxiliary has created another generous donation from them in support of the software program used by physicians and technicians to treat cancer patients with even more accuracy. This donation allows Dubs Cancer Center to offer the very best cancer care to our community. "The Auxiliary continues with the legacy to improve the lives of our patients and the community," Guy said.

TomoTherapy, the newest form of radiation therapy for certain cancers, combines intensity-modulated radiation therapy-the most effective form of radiation therapy-with the image precision of a CT scan to guide radiation exactly to tumor areas. Rogue Valley Medical Center, with community support through the Asante Foundation, brought TomoTherapy to the region this spring.

Thanks to the generous donation, Dubs Cancer Center will now have a state of the art software planning system to enhance its TomoTherapy treatment system, said Joe Hannah, director, radiation oncology. "We are excited and so honored to have this ongoing support from the Auxiliary," he added. "This gift enables us to treat patients with the most precision possible; patients who previously would have needed to leave our area." 

The Auxiliary

The Auxiliary at RVMC is open to individuals 18 years of age and older. Auxilians provide many volunteer services to patients and visitors, including the information desks, critical care units, courtesy blood pressure checks, spiritual care, and the Tower Place Gift Shop.

We believe that volunteers are very special people. In today's high technology environment the role of the volunteer adds the extra touches that say to the patient, "We care!"

If you would like to learn more about becoming a volunteer at RVMC, visit our Volunteer page, or call (541) 789-5875, or e-mail volunteer@asante.org.