The Cancer Committee at Rice Hospital continued to meet regularly during 2002. The cancer program is fairly large and complex, and all of the previously described efforts have continued. Highlights of the year included a successful audit of the Institutional Review Board and also our beginning participation in a National Central Institutional Review Board, which adds considerable efficiency to our review of study protocols.

Our cancer program did participate actively in the Relay for Life with several program staff available and with an identifiable booth for the Willmar Cancer Center, which was well received by patients.

The cancer program has begun to explore several complementary medicine initiatives responding to patient demand and to a desire to increase our knowledge of these modes of therapy.

Two people from the Cancer Center did attend Cancer Guides, an excellent meeting sponsored by The Center for Mind/Body Medicine in Washington, D.C.

Discussions have resumed regarding establishment of an identified cancer center with all services available at the hospital campus.

For the first time last year, the Cancer Center Annual Report was published on line, which seemed to be well received, and was considerably more efficient than the original paper report.

A bittersweet event of the year was the retirement of Betty Shepperd, who had been instrumental in establishing the Rice Memorial Hospital Hospice Program, and has contributed significantly over many years.

The cancer program is alive and well with increasing numbers of patients served and services available.

Chairman's Report | Kidney/Renal Pelvis Cancer | Radiation Oncology Report | Complementary Medicine
Cancer Registry | 2002 Cancer Committee | Willmar Cancer Center | About the Cancer Registry

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