By Jeff Odom
The new Cancer Institute Adult Outpatient Infusion Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz is offering more than just easily accessible service to cancer patients.
It’s giving them a little piece of home, too.
The center, located at 4211 Van Dyke Road inside the hospital, opened its doors in December. Right away patients noticed a difference with a relaxed setting to provide comfort during treatment procedures.
“It’s amazing,” said Lutz resident Mary Crook, a patient who is undergoing treatment for colon cancer. “I have zero complaints about the whole thing, and as far as the chemo center and what is going on there, it’s perfect for us.”
The hospital has made comfort a priority with high-definition televisions, wireless Internet and plenty of space for guests. The amenities are something Mary, along with her husband Bob, appreciates very much.
“If I had to have this experience anywhere, I would want to have it here,” Mary said. “The people that take care of me are so wonderful, and the whole place is gorgeous. It’s top of the line.”
Patients staying in the center also have access to a snack bar, which offers sandwiches, treats and a variety of hot and cold beverages. Some rooms even accommodate guests spending the night with a pullout bed.
Bob, who is a manager at the Publix Supermarket located at the apex of US 41 in Lutz, said the location is perfect, because he can be to the hospital in as little as 10 minutes to support his wife.
“It’s good to know that I can be there, because that’s right up there in the top of the line in importance,” Bob said. “So far, everything that has gone down I’ve been able to be there with her for it. It’s good for me, because I can keep tabs on everything that’s going on, and it’s good for her because I can be there for the moral support.”
In addition to treatment facilities, the center includes a private education room for oncology nurses to consult with patients and their families, a pharmacy annex so chemotherapy can be stored and mixed on site and an expansive nursing station. There’s even an exit for patients to leave without disturbance.
The cancer institute’s director Brad Smith said in a release that the center is already making itself known as a solution to patients with busy schedules that would otherwise have to travel to the main hospital in Tampa or other cancer treatment centers like Moffitt.
“It can be challenging for cancer patients to maintain their busy treatment schedule, and when you are not feeling well an extra 20 to 30 minutes in the car can make a real difference,” Smith said. “Our cancer patients are very special to us. Knowing that the Cancer Institute Adult Outpatient Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North is available to serve them is very rewarding.”
Mary said that she feels welcomed every time she comes for treatment, because the nursing staff always has time to talk with her and make sure she is doing well.
“It’s the most convenient place for the whole community, I believe,” Mary said. “They’ve got such a great staff with Angela (Papadopoulos), Kathy (Weinstein), and now all of the nurses that are coming into the infusion department call it the ‘social hour.’ We’re all in there chitchatting and whatnot. I just love all of those people.”
For more information about the Cancer Institute Adult Outpatient Infusion Center, call (813) 870-4123.
—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker
