If it weren’t for the new St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center service, Bill Maneth most likely would have had to hire someone to drive him to the University of Kansas Cancer Center. But thanks to new technology, Maneth was able to consult with a KU physician in real time at St. Rose.
“Instead of me going to KU, they brought KU to me,” Maneth said. “Since my wife and I can’t drive that kind of distance anymore, this was a Godsend. There would have been a lot of expense, along with the stress of traffic and being away from home.
“The KU doctor was easy to talk to and he used layman’s terms,” Maneth added. “And I was free to ask questions.”
The Interactive Television (ITV) service is available because St. Rose became a member of the Midwest Cancer Alliance, which brings services and education to local communities throughout Kansas.
Dr. Mark Fesen, Maneth’s local oncologist, recommended seeking KU’s expertise, which is now at the fingertips of Heartland Cancer Center. HCC is part of the St. Rose family.
Dr. Peter Van Veldhuizen of KU discussed several options with Maneth during a 40-minute conversation. One involved the possibility of Maneth benefiting from a new drug that could be approved by the Food and Drug Administration soon.
“This was just one of the things we talked about,” Maneth said. “Dr. Van Veldhuizen has all my records and we will be talking to him more with the help of Dr. Fesen.”
Maneth underwent surgery for prostate cancer in November of 1996 and then had radiation treatments. The disease went into remission but came back. The 79-year-old Great Bend native has undergone chemotherapy treatments at HCC but that has ended for now. Current treatment plans include a monthly hormone injection and a bone-building injection every three months.
“Our cancer center here is a real life saver,” Maneth said. “The people there treat us like family.”
His wife, Kay, also mentioned that the fringe benefit is having immediate access to St. Rose’s imaging center, infusion clinic and lab. “They have everything we need right here at St. Rose,” Kay said.
Jamie Hutchinson, R.N. and HCC director, said the ITV service is a direct benefit of St. Rose being progressive enough to join the Midwest Cancer Alliance.
“This is great for the patients and the community,” Hutchinson said. “Dr. Fesen has always stayed up-to-date and given top-notch treatments, but this allows him another resource for research and other opportunities for his patients.
“He and Dr. Claudia Perez-Tamayo always have the patient’s best interest at heart and it is amazing to watch these brilliant minds at work,” Hutchinson added. “We know their patients appreciate all they do.”
Maneth’s ITV session was on July 5 and two more patients used the service the following day. “They were from Jetmore and Sterling, and were grateful for this close-to-home opportunity,” Hutchinson commented. “One had a large family group that couldn’t have gone to Kansas City but did come here.”
There are other ITV appointments scheduled for the near future. For now, they are offered at St. Rose but soon will be available at HCC.
“KU has a streamlined process and is very easy to work with,” Hutchinson noted. “They like to have the appointment scheduled within one business day and since the doctors are accommodating, it is a matter of waiting only a few days for the actual ITV consultation.
“I know people travel because they think there are better physicians outside of Great Bend,” Hutchinson acknowledged. “This breaks my heart. Our community has superb oncology care right here and thanks to the Midwest Cancer Alliance, we are taking it to the next level.”