PLAINS, Pa. — Officials with Geisinger held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday to mark the completion of Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center expansion to the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township.
"People in our Wyoming Valley don't have to travel far for very good cancer care. I thought that was the whole idea of why my parents wanted to be the lead gifts for the Henry Cancer Center," said Marjorie Marquart, daughter of Frank and Dorothea Henry.
"It's closer when it's in our backyards, when it's 15, 20-minute drive, maybe a 30-minute drive, but definitely not a three-hour drive. And I think that's what this building embodies," said Dr. Jaewon Ryu, Geisinger CEO.
The new center features a health food cafe for patients and guests, has 51 chemotherapy infusion stations, and 18 private rooms.
"There's more technology in this room than really meets the eye. So first of all, the rooms are really generously sized. The idea again was to have space for family members, maybe the patients who go through treatment for, let's say acute leukemia, are here for a very long time," said Dan Landesberg, associate vice president for clinical operations.
People who have had care at the Henry Cancer Center tell Newswatch 16 the availability of technology like this close to home means a lot to patients and their families.
"It meant everything," said Mike Blazaskie of Hanover Township. "Everybody was local. Like I was saying in my speech, we had busy lives, a lot going on, and for them to be able to help me here and still go about their lives is very important to all of us."
The expansion of the Henry Cancer Center opens to the public and patients on Monday.
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