Network of providers offer comprehensive cancer care in western Wisconsin
April 23, 2012. In August of last year, Tara Ramberg received the news that one in eight women in the United States receive…you have breast cancer. Wife, daughter, mother of two and a third grade teacher at Greenfield Elementary School in Baldwin, Wisconsin, Tara looked for care close to home. Dr. Semrau, from Baldwin Area Medical Center performed Tara’s biopsy and surgery. Next, Tara and her husband Dave did their research and decided on the Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin for treatment. “People told us to go somewhere in the Twin Cities, but we wanted to go locally. We were comfortable with that decision, so we did”, stated Tara. Tara rates her treatment both in chemotherapy and radiation at a “10 out of 10”. Dr. Steven McCormack from the Cancer Center was her medical oncologist. “We had heard he was good,” said Dave and Tara. After numerous cycles of chemotherapy, lab draws, and physician visits, the couple describes him as kind, personable, approachable, and upbeat. Once chemotherapy was over, it was on to Dr. Clayton Chen at the Radiation Treatment Center of Western Wisconsin. “Dr. Chen was just like Dr. McCormack, personable and professional,” said Tara. When asked what she would tell others about their care, Tara said, “Go with what you feel comfortable with, not what people tell you. “They call me by my name and I like it here.”
Last year, six regional hospitals came together to open the Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin, located on the Westfields Hospital health campus in New Richmond, Wisconsin. This world-class facility is the center of a regional system of cancer prevention and clinical care accessible at six convenient locations including: Amery Regional Medical Center, Baldwin Area Medical Center, Hudson Hospital & Clinics, Osceola Medical Center, St. Croix Regional Medical Center and Westfields Hospital. Through this collaboration and partnership, all of the organizations realized the vision of providing the most effective and specialized cancer prevention, treatment and recovery to local residents. This system of care offers local access to exceptional care within the healing comfort and familiarity of their hometowns. All six locations have HealthPartners medical oncologists practicing in their respective Specialty Clinics providing diagnostic, treatment, chemotherapy, and follow up cancer care. By providing consistent oncology services, residents of this region can spend less time traveling and waiting and more time healing at home with family and friends.
In addition to the Cancer Center, area residents can receive radiation therapy treatment close to home. The Radiation Therapy Center of Western Wisconsin is located with the Cancer Center and has state of the art technology and is staffed by a full-time radiation oncologist. Since it opened, 100 patients have been treated and Tara Ramberg was the 100th patient. |