Cartersville, Ga. (November 15, 2024) – The Hope Center, radiation oncology services at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center, celebrated 20 years with cancer survivors in the community on Thursday, November 14. Over 100 guests, including patients, enjoyed dinner, entertainment and celebrated the center’s achievements and service to the community.
“We are so proud of The Hope Center and its dedication and commitment to serve this community with compassionate care over the past two decades,” said Lori Rakes, CEO, Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center. “Piedmont’s mission is to make a positive difference in every life we touch and The Hope Center truly makes a positive difference for those undergoing cancer treatments and their families.”
Nearly two-thirds of patients diagnosed with cancer are candidates for radiation therapy, which is the careful use of high-energy radiation to target tumors or diseased areas of the body. In addition to treating cancer, radiation therapy may also be used to shrink tumors growing against bones, nerves or organs, reducing pain; before surgery to reduce a tumor to make it more operable; or post-surgery to stop the growth of remaining cancer cells.
For patients who learn they have cancer and require treatment, Piedmont Cartersville’s Hope Center, a regional cancer treatment facility, is conveniently located on the hospital campus and provides over 3,000 radiation oncology treatments with over 200 new patients per year from a 10-county region. With a fully-integrated system for image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery, including Prone Breast Treatments and Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) Breast Treatments, residents of Cartersville can rest assured knowing they are receiving leading-edge cancer treatment and care close to home.
“The people at The Hope Center truly care about their patients and treat them like family,” said Jodi Ward, who has been with the center for 19 years. “We have exceptional staff here who all love what they do.”
In May, Piedmont Cartersville Radiation Oncology received the 2023 Press Ganey Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award, recognizing Piedmont Cartersville as a leader in patient experience within the healthcare industry, according to performance in patient experience.
As a winner of the Press Ganey HX Guardian of Excellence Award®, Piedmont Cartersville is in the top 5% of healthcare providers in delivering patient experience in the last year, and the award is a testament to the radiation oncology team for the exceptional personal care they provide to their patients.
“Knowing you can change a person’s life and be a blessing to them, just by spending a few minutes with them, when they are going through something so hard, is truly a blessing,” says Ward.
For more information on The Hope Center and oncology services at Piedmont Cartersville, please visit piedmont.org/Cartersville.