Advanced Technology to Fight Cancer Coming to Carroll Hospital
Kahlert Foundation Donates $2.5 Million for a New TrueBeam® Linear Accelerator
The Kahlert Foundation is granting a $2.5 million gift to the Carroll Hospital Foundation for the purchase of a state-of-the art TrueBeam linear accelerator, made by Varian Medical Systems, at the William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer Center at Carroll Hospital. This advanced linear accelerator technology aims radiation at cancer tumors with increased accuracy, sparing nearby healthy tissue.
David Perry, M.D., chair of radiation oncology for LifeBridge Health, says he is excited about the benefits this technology will bring to the hospital’s patients, adding that there have been huge advancements in radiation technology since the installation of the hospital’s original linear accelerator ten years ago.
“Our patients deserve the best technology out there, and the new system features the most advanced technology there is, comparable to what you’d find at leading cancer centers around the country,” says Dr. Perry.
He adds, “This technology allows us to increase the radiation dose to tumors, improving tumor eradication while also avoiding normal healthy tissue, which reduces side effects. Because of this increased precision, we may be able to decrease the time of the treatments themselves as well as shorten the duration of the entire treatment regimen.”
The new system also gives patients a more convenient treatment option. Carroll Hospital patients with prostate cancer or small lesions in their brain, lungs or bones would previously need to go to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore to receive radiosurgery or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). With this new accelerator, they can now receive this radiation therapy at Carroll Hospital, giving patients the option to receive much-needed care closer to home.
The $2.5 million donation is part of an ongoing partnership between the Kahlert Foundation and the Carroll Hospital Foundation. In 2014, the Kahlert Foundation donated $5 million to Carroll Hospital Foundation through the “Campaign to Cure & Comfort, Always.” That donation was key in the construction of a new cancer center named the William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer Center. Since that time, the Kahlert Foundation has supported many advancements at Carroll Hospital.
Greg Kahlert, the foundation’s president, understands the cancer’s impact on individuals and families. His father, William died from liver cancer, and Greg says, “Anytime we can improve the care experience and support people facing cancer, we are on board.”
Carroll Hospital’s president, Garrett Hoover is grateful for this gift of technology and what it means for the community.
“We are so appreciative for this ongoing trusted partnership between Kahlert Foundation and the Carroll Hospital Foundation. Our mission is shaping the future of quality health care in Carroll County and taking care of the people in our community. This advanced linear accelerator enhances the high-quality and compassionate care we can offer at the William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer Center,” Hoover says.
The TrueBeam linear accelerator, along with the Eclipse treatment planning system that supports it, is expected to be online by late summer.
Pictured Above: Copyright © (2024) Varian Medical Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
About Carroll Hospital:
Carroll Hospital is the heart of its tight-knit community, proudly serving the region for more than six decades. It has grown from a one-building hospital to a comprehensive patient-centered medical campus. The hospital offers a nursing and rehabilitation center on campus, nationally ranked care, the latest medical technology and skilled clinicians in a variety of specialties.
About the Carroll Hospital Foundation:
The Carroll Hospital Foundation helps facilitate the generous support of friends and neighbors, whose donations and gifts play a tremendous role in shaping the hospital’s future. For more information head to CarrollHospitalFoundation.org
About the Kahlert Foundation:
The Kahlert Foundation was established in 1991 by William "Bill" E. Kahlert. Bill was a very giving and generous man with a compassion and desire to make a difference in the communities where he lived and worked. Bill served as a member on the Board of Directors of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center and Provident Bank, was the Director of the Baltimore Region American Red Cross, and chairperson of the Blood Board. Bill Kahlert passed away in 2011. At this time, a generous gift to the foundation enabled it to make more and larger grants increasing the impact the foundation has in its communities.
Contact: Theodosha Hayes, lbhmedia@lifebridgehealth.org, 410-601-2296