Bishop McDonnell, Congressman Neal, Sister Caritas, Sister Kathleen, Sister Joan, and all the Sisters of Providence in attendance here today, Mayor Ryan, President McCorkle, Colleagues and Distinguished Guests,

Good Morning…..

I am honored to be asked to speak to you at this morning’s dedication and blessing of the newly expanded Sr. Caritas Cancer Center here at Mercy Medical Center.

The commitment and dedication that Mercy Medical Center brings to this community is highlighted today as we come together to dedicate this wonderful facility. Year after year, Mercy has consistently been the innovator and leader in bringing to this region the latest state-of-the-art medical technology. Mercy was first in bringing digital mammography, multi-slice CAT scan and other advanced technology to this region. These advancements contribute to the outcomes of patient care, no matter what the diagnoses.

Today, you heard Dr. Stark speak about the most advanced radiation therapy technology that is available now at Mercy and how patients at Mercy will get the best possible care, leading to the best possible outcomes.

It was just about 14 months ago that this community came together to help break ground for this 31,100 square foot, state-of-the-art cancer center.

I toured this newly expanded and absolutely beautiful facility with the Director, Frank Claudio, and saw first-hand how the components of the technology combine to enable the therapists to pinpoint the radiation therapy to virtually sculpt the radiation’s path to hit the tumor and spare the surrounding tissue. This is the goal of all cancer treatment. With cancer, treatment is sometimes needed again. And, the more accurate the treatment, the more options the patient and therapists have to pursue.

• State-of-the-art treatment technology in cancer care.
• State-of-the-art diagnostic technology.
• That’s what the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center is.

Mercy Medical Center recently achieved certification as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons and provides advanced radiation therapy treatment, surgery and chemotherapy.

But Mercy brings another element to care. Mercy brings a passion for healing; concern for the dignity of the individual, and respect for each patient’s journey through illness.

I was told of something staff at the cancer center hears often from doctors and administrators: “Whatever is best for the patient, whatever the patient needs… do it.” That’s the mantra that guides them. That’s the tenet that underlies care.

When you walk through the new cancer center, you will see the detail, the care that was taken to provide the patient with everything he or she needs. There are separate dressing areas for men and women and specially designed treatment tables. Stunning artwork of flowers and outdoor scenes of nature decorate not only the walls, but also the ceilings so that patients may see this calming image while undergoing treatment. “Quiet” rooms allow privacy in difficult conversations, or just to be alone with one’s thoughts. An educational center provides a computer for patient education and a staff person from the American Cancer Society on hand.

Here, at the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center, patients who have finished treatment come back to help other patients. This is a place of treatment, but it also a healing place.

When you tour this facility, you learn about the way the equipment works, how the advanced and individual treatment planning results in a unique plan for each patient. A dedicated team of therapists, a nurse, a social worker, a nutritionist, and a spiritual care counselor coordinate the patient’s care; patients return week after week for treatment, and the same team provides their care.

This community recognizes and honors the commitment Mercy and the Sisters of Providence make to this region. Employing more than 3,800 people, contracting with O’Connell and Sons, a Holyoke-based building contractor and developer for this construction project, using local vendors, committing to the future of this community, Mercy Medical Center stands as a beacon of commitment and care.

Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan supports the Mayor’s Cancer Crusade Task Force, which is educating the public about the benefits of screening. We thank Mayor Ryan for his leadership in this important initiative.

Here in Springfield, there are many barriers to cancer screening. For some who are immigrants, it is navigating a new system of health care. For others, it is transportation. For some, the barrier is money: money for screening. For others, the barrier is fear: How will I pay? What will a diagnosis mean for my family?

The Cancer Task Force discussed local research that found about 36 percent of women in the greater Springfield community who are eligible for mammograms do not get the screening.

Cervical cancer is one area in which I am particularly interested. Certain ethnic groups are more devastated by this illness. The Human Paploma Virus, HPV, is the cause of cervical cancer. A simple DNA based test can alert a person early on for the need for treatment and avoid the high rate of false positives and false negatives associated with the 60 year old technology of the PAP Test. Cervical Cancer is the most preventable and treatable of the gynecologic cancers. Yet 100 women will die in Massachusetts this year from the disease. These deaths are needless.

This past legislative session we were able to secure the legislation and $100,000 in funding for a multi-disciplinary Cervical Cancer task force that will work towards the eradication of cervical cancer in the Commonwealth. Local experts such as Dr. Bruce Dziura and Dr. Claudia Martorell will serve with us In this effort. Springfield and Boston will be the first two program sites. We will make sure every woman in Massachusetts knows her HPV status.

We all still have a great deal of work to do in our community with cancer. Here at Mercy, people are dedicating their lives to it.

On the light poles around the parking lot here, you see banners decorated with butterflies in flight.

“Journey of Hope,” is emblazoned on those banners.

Here, at the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center, patients walk in hope.

Alongside them walk their partners in that journey, the staff therapists and the physicians here at the Mercy Medical Center Sr. Caritas Cancer Center.

Ask a Cancer Center employee what makes the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center different than other cancer centers, and they will tell you it is the way they care for and about the patients

They say they put themselves in the place of the patient, and they let that guide them in how they provide that care, day in and day out. They say that they think to themselves: This could be me, or my mother or my sister. And in some cases, it is.

These health care providers lend their expertise and their professionalism. They lend their hands to hold, their shoulders to lean on. They lend their hearts.

Those of us who live in the region are grateful to Mercy for its commitment to provide the most advanced care possible so that patients and their families do not have to travel outside our region to get the best care.

Patients can tackle the work of fighting cancer surrounded by their families and the neighbors who care for them, secure in knowing they have the latest technology available, and that they have committed partners in the medical professionals at Mercy who join them in their journey through cancer; their journey of hope.

I want to take a moment to extend my personal congratulations to my good friend, Sr. Mary Caritas, one of the most beloved women in Massachusetts. She’s been a compassionate and consistent voice for healthcare and a strong advocate for underserved populations such as the elderly, the poor and our children. It is only fitting and proper that such an innovative and beautiful facility be named for such a beautiful and innovative and energetic human being. Congratulations Sister and the entire Mercy family and thank you for all you do for the people of Massachusetts and for inviting me to be part of such a historic moment for the Sister Caritas Cancer Center and the people of Springfield.