ThedaCare marked the tenth anniversary of its Regional Cancer Center, reflecting on a decade of providing cancer care services to patients and families across northeast and central Wisconsin, according to a March 30 announcement.
Located on the Encircle Health Campus since its opening in 2016, the center serves as the main site for ThedaCare’s Cancer Care program. Lydia Gonzales Ryan, Vice President of ThedaCare Cancer Services-North Region, said, “Over the past decade, our Cancer Center team has walked alongside thousands of patients, supporting them and their families from diagnosis, through treatment and into survivorship.” She added that access to cancer care has expanded throughout the region in recent years.
The center’s advancements include broadening research capabilities and increasing patient access to clinical trials. Gonzales Ryan said this expansion “ensures patients have access to groundbreaking therapies close to home – often before they are widely available – offering hope, options and personalized pathways forward.” Over ten years, six Tumor Site-Specific Centers of Excellence have been developed for breast cancers; head and neck cancers; gastrointestinal cancers; thoracic cancers; hematologic malignancies; and genitourinary cancers. “These multidisciplinary programs standardize best practices, align specialists and measure outcomes to continuously elevate and help improve the patient experience,” she said.
Dr. Joseph Bovi, Radiation Oncologist and Physician Chief of ThedaCare Cancer Care, highlighted that national accreditations such as those from the Commission on Cancer (CoC), National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), Radiation Oncology Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx), and Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification reinforce their commitment to quality. “These recognitions reflect our dedication to delivering care that meets rigorous national standards,” Dr. Bovi said.
A focus on survivorship is central at ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center. Gonzales Ryan explained that programs are designed “to support our patients in ‘finding a new normal’” after treatment ends by addressing physical, emotional, practical challenges post-diagnosis.
Technological investments over the past decade include CyberKnife Radiotherapy; robotic-assisted surgical offerings; BiTE therapy options; radiopharmaceutical treatments; advanced precision radiation; and systemic therapies. Dr. Bovi noted these advances enable more targeted treatments with fewer side effects while allowing many patients to remain near home during care.
Gonzales Ryan credited community support as essential: “Donors to the ThedaCare Family of Foundations helped bring this care vision to life.” Nearly $7 million was raised toward construction through community contributions.
