Construction on the Upstate Cancer Research Center at University Hospital in Syracuse is rapidly taking shape.
The center will have a variety of medical services in a centralized location. Many services are already being offered, like a specialized psychologist, who works to help the emotional and psychological needs that cancer patients and families deal with, and an integrated medicine specialist, who advises patients on non-traditional therapies they may wish to add to their traditional treatment methods.
Leslie Kohman, the Medical Director of the Upstate Center, mentioned a few of the alternative therapies offered:
When the center opens, it will house a resource center with a trained medical librarian, a meditation room, a Cancer Center Chaplain, community space for support groups to provide for the needs of cancer patients and their families, and a Healing Garden space. In addition, a new state-of-the-art targeted radiation machine (only the third of its kind to exist in the United States), new capabilities for prostate cancer screenings, and a clinical trial and research laboratory serve as major attractions for the facility.
Kohman took Congressman Dan Maffei on a tour of the construction site Thursday. He sees a possible way that Federal government can help the center’s research.
The Upstate Cancer Center is approaching its fundraising goal in its construction project, which is entirely self-funded, but still could use one final boost in donations. The new building will open next summer.