Mission SECU Cancer Center

In November 2011, Mission Health, located in Asheville, North Carolina, opened the Mission SECU Cancer Center to provide comprehensive cancer care that includes state-of-the-art technology and comfortable, effective treatment delivery. The 5-story cancer center is Mission Health’s first LEED-certified green building, where patients find themselves in a healing atmosphere that incorporates integrative health modalities, natural light, and breathtaking views of the mountains.

Mission Health serves approximately 3000 new cancer patients annually through a network of local and regional providers covering 18 counties in western North Carolina. In addition, Mission Health provides prevention and education programs, including free cancer screenings, to the local community.

Karen Grogan, RN, MSOM, MHA, OCN, CENP, executive director of cancer services, discusses the services available at the Mission SECU Cancer Center and explains how the nursing staff participated in the design of the new center.

What are you excited about right now in the cancer field?

KG: The field of personalized medicine through genomics is very exciting. I anticipate that chemotherapy regimens will look very different over the next 10 years as we better understand how to target specific cell types.

What approach does your institution take when treating people with cancer?

KG: In November 2011, we opened a 118,000-square-foot outpatient cancer center specifically designed to be patient-centric. Our aim is to get each patient to the desired outcome, without harm, without waste, and with an exceptional experience for the patient and family.

How does that translate to better outcomes for your patients?

KG: Having our providers and services in one location has greatly improved communication and coordination of care for our patients. Through our multidisciplinary clinics, the time between diagnosis and initiation of treatment has been reduced and our compliance rate with recommended treatments has improved, in large part owing to nurse navigation services.

How were your oncology nurses involved in the design and planning
of the new cancer center?

KG: We established end-user groups that included oncology nurses, patients, physicians, and many others who met regularly with our architects to plan the scope of services and map patient flow to create a patient-centric design. Our focus was on ease of access, efficiencies in care, and creating a healing, supportive environment.

What inspired you to enter the field of oncology nursing?

KG: Foremost, it was the personal connection an oncology nurse develops with patients while sharing their cancer journey that I found compelling during my adult and pediatric oncology rotations in nursing school. It has been an honor to share treatment successes and end-of-life experiences with many patients and families over the years of my career.

Any advice for nurses just entering the field?

KG: Nursing has to come from the heart. You have to care and respect each individual’s values and personal decisions. Nursing is physically and emotionally difficult, but I think it is the most rewarding career imaginable.

If you weren’t working in this field, what would you be doing?

KG: Oncology nursing has been my life career and will always be what defines me. However, I enjoyed the opportunity to lead the cancer center project with our facility project manager. Maybe consultant work will someday fit into my career plans.