The City of Pottsville's Office of Code Enforcement recently approved a $1.5 million plan to establish a Geisinger Medical Group cancer treatment center at Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street.
According to the design plans approved Friday by building inspector Jerry R. Farro, the new facility will be called the "Geisinger Medical Group Pottsville Cancer Center at Schuylkill Medical Center East Norwegian."
"The name is not yet finalized," Michael Ferlazzo, a public relations specialist for Geisinger Health System, said Monday.
On Monday, Schuylkill Health, the owner of the building, acquired a building permit for the project, according to Donald J. Chescavage, city code enforcement officer.
It will be a 5,500-square-foot cancer center on the third floor of the south wing of the East Norwegian Street hospital. The project's price tag is will be $1,513,941, according to Chescavage, who was reading the information from the building permit.
"While Schuylkill Health will remain the owner of the building, when the project is complete, Geisinger is going to be leasing that space," Chescavage said.
Schuylkill Health and Geisinger Health initially announced their plan to develop the cancer center in September 2011.
It will include a full-time medical oncologist who will regularly see patients. Services will include hematology and medical oncology as well as a chemotherapy treatment area, Ferlazzo said.
"By expanding cancer services in Schuylkill County, patients will be able to participate in more clinical trials, which will allow them access to some of the newest cancer treatments available today," John E. Simodejka, president and chief executive officer of Schuylkill Health, said in a press release in 2011.
"Currently, an overwhelming number of patients are migrating away from central Pennsylvania to receive cancer treatments," Victor Vogel, M.D., Geisinger Cancer Institute's director of breast oncology research, said in the release.
"Because of this new, comprehensive cancer treatment facility, Schuylkill County residents will have access to high-level cancer care without having to travel. When someone is in need of cancer services, the comfort of remaining close to home during a very challenging time can significantly improve a patient's quality of life," Vogel said.
According to the cover sheet of the plan on file in Chescavage's office, Geisinger System Services, Danville, is listed as the architect and planner, and Martin Roger Associates, Wilkes-Barre, is the engineer.
Quandel Enterprises Inc., Minersville, is the general contractor, Chescavage said.
The Republican-Herald sent representatives of Geisinger and Schuylkill Health questions on the project by email Monday.
M. Michael Peckman, spokesman for Schuylkill Health, confirmed by phone that he and hospital administrators, including Simodejka, received the questions.
"Since you sent these questions to both Geisinger and Schuylkill Health, we collaborated with Michael Peckman on the answers," Ferlazzo said.
Asked about the finances of Schuylkill Health in recent times, Ferlazzo said, "Schuylkill Health is a young health system. Its finances have continued to improve."
Jon Hopcraft, legislative assistant to Sen. David Argall, R-29, said Monday that as far as he could tell, no state or federal grants were issued for the project.
"It was capital investment on the part of Geisinger," Ferlazzo said.
Geisinger and Schuylkill Health have forged a few partnerships in recent years. They include the eICU program, the Pediatric Hospitalist Program, the Pediatric GI Program and now the cancer center, Ferlazzo said.
This will be the first time Geisinger and Schuylkill Health have worked together on a cancer center, he said.
While Geisinger has been doing more work with Schuylkill Health in recent times, Ferlazzo said he does not foresee the sale of Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street to Geisinger.
"Schuylkill Health is now and remains an independent community health system. In the case of the cancer center, this is a collaborative effort, just like the previously mentioned collaborative initiatives. Schuylkill Health is providing the facility and Geisinger is providing the expertise to deliver cancer care to the citizens of Schuylkill County, who have demonstrated a need for these specific services." Ferlazzo said.
"In fact, the services previously mentioned did not exist and were not available prior to Schuylkill Health and Geisinger working together to bring them to our community. This project and partnership between Schuylkill Health and Geisinger is designed to bring an important and much-needed service to the residents of our community," Ferlazzo said.
Earlier this year, Quandel approached the city to ask if it could begin preparing the site and Chescavage said he gave them permission to do so.
To clear out the space, Quandel set up an orange rubbish chute leading from a window at the East Norwegian Street hospital to a trash bin on the ground.
In a related matter, Geisinger is also embarking on an upgrade to another of its cancer centers in Pottsville.
According to a building permit filed by One Norwegian Associates, Geisinger is planning improvements to Geisinger Medical Center Radiation Oncology Pottsville at One Norwegian Plaza.
In February, the city code enforcement office approved Geisinger's $163,000 plan to renovate its radiation oncology center. This work will include electrical, plumbing and mechanical upgrades and some carpentry, according to the permit.
"It's upgrades. It's not that large a job," Chescavage said.
Heim Construction, Pottsville, has been hired as the contractor, according to the permit.
Schuylkill Health, a general, acute care, not-for-profit community medical campus was formed in 2008 through the merger of the former Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center and Pottsville Hospital and Warne Clinic.
Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street is a 126-bed facility while Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street is a 180-bed facility, Peckman said Monday.