Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital (LKH) announced Wednesday that outpatient medical oncology services provided through the hospital’s LKH Cancer Center will end on June 30.
Medical oncology involves treatment for certain types of cancers using medications, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, to destroy and change tumors and cancer cells. Radiation oncology services will continue to be offered at this center and are not affected by this change, according to a news release from Lutheran. Radiation oncology is the treatment of cancers using radiation.
There are other medical oncology programs in the area, including Warsaw. Patients receiving medical oncology treatment at the LKH Cancer Center are being notified directly and provided with support to transition their care. Patients with questions can call 574-549-6990.
“We recognize the need to shift treatment to a different center may cause concern among our patients, and we want to quickly alleviate concerns. We will work with our patients and the other area treatment centers to make this transition as smooth as possible,” said Lynn Mergen, LKH chief executive officer. “While we had hoped to continue this service indefinitely, we have been unable to secure a full time permanent medical oncologist to oversee management of this program. We are grateful to the team who has been supporting the delivery of high-quality care for many years.”
The organization is actively seeking transfer assignments and other roles within LKH and across the broader Lutheran Health Network for staff and providers affected by the change, the release states.
For more information about Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital, visit lutherankosciuskohospital.com or call 574-267-3200.