New Cancer Treatment Center in Ashland Celebrates Groundbreaking

Essentia Health, Memorial Medical Center Team Up to Offer Cancer Patients Nearby Treatment

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The Northwest Wisconsin Cancer Society is a collaboration of Essentia Health and the Memorial Medical Center, which right now doesn’t offer any radiation therapy and only certain types of chemotherapy.

But the new cancer treatment center will offer everything cancer patients need without having to travel so far.

Smiles and cheer surrounded the Memorial Medical Center Monday afternoon.

“Our goal was if we’re going to provide a service that’s in this community, it has to be as good of a service as you can get anywhere that you go,” said Daniel Hymans, a recovering cancer patient and the man behind the new cancer clinic.

Doctors, patients, and the entire Ashland community celebrated the groundbreaking of a new cancer treatment center.

“I can’t think of another community the size of Ashland and this type of area that has a radiation oncology center,” said Medical Oncologist at Memorial Medical Center, Mihailo Lalich.  

For Hymans, this day was extra special. Four years ago, a lump on his leg turned into the words nobody wants to hear.

“He cut it out on Monday, he came to see me on Friday and said ‘I’m sorry, but you’ve got cancer,’” Hymans explained.

For four months of chemotherapy, followed by radiation every day for six weeks, Hymans would drive to Duluth for treatment.

“Well, now I know specifically, it’s one hour and 20 minutes to get to the radiation center at Essentia Health,” he said.

He says he spent more of his time in the car than getting cured.

“One morning I was coming back across the bridge at 8:15 already, done with my radiation therapy on the way home, and I realized this is crazy,” Hymans described.

For others the lengthy drive deters them from radiation completely.

“It’s very draining from an energy standpoint for our patients,” Lalich explained. “It’s financially very costly just to pay for the gas back and forth, often staying in hotel rooms.”

A former CEO of Memorial Medical Center, Hymans decided it was necessary to bring reliable treatment to the people of Northern Wisconsin.

“Studies have shown that when you’re ill, the support of your family and your friends and your community can be just as important as the therapy that medicine can provide,” said Dr. David Herman, CEO of Essentia Health.

The hope to lessen the burden during already–tough times.

“No one wants to have to do those things, but if you have to do it, this is where you want to be able to do it,” Lalich said. 

The new clinic is a $12 million project, $5 million of that is just for the necessary equipment.

The facility is set to be ready to treat patients in March of 2016.