On March 4, HighPoint Health System and Sumner Regional Medical Center (SRMC) celebrated the grand opening of the Carpenter Cancer Center at Sumner Station in Gallatin. The $18 million cancer treatment facility brings comprehensive cancer care to residents of Sumner County and surrounding communities. The center is named in honor of LifePoint Health Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William F. Carpenter III.
Carpenter joined Susan Peach, market president of HighPoint Health System and CEO of SRMC, to help celebrate the official opening of the Carpenter Cancer Center, along with medical and clinical staff, community leaders and elected officials. After brief remarks and the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon, attendees toured the new state-of-the-art Carpenter Cancer Center.
“We have been eagerly waiting for this day and are so excited to share this new center with our community,” said Peach. “We are so proud that we will be able to offer hope and healing to residents of Sumner County by delivering high quality, comprehensive cancer care. We are grateful to the leadership of LifePoint and the support of Bill Carpenter, who helped make this project possible.”
HighPoint Health System became part of LifePoint Health in 2010. With the $18 million investment in the Carpenter Cancer Center, LifePoint has invested nearly $60 million over the last five years in HighPoint Health System’s hospitals, including Sumner Regional Medical Center.
“Our mission is making communities healthier, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than by bringing high quality care close to home for the people we serve,” said Carpenter. “I am proud of the members of the team who worked tirelessly to make this center a place where patients and their families can find hope and healing in a caring and supportive atmosphere that is second to none – right here close to home in Gallatin. I cannot wait to see the impact this new cancer center will have on the residents of Sumner County and surrounding areas.”
The Carpenter Cancer Center, which replaces Sumner Regional’s current cancer care services at the hospital, features a skilled oncology team of 10 full-time employees led by radiation oncologist Robert McClure, MD. The team also includes a nurse navigator dedicated to supporting patients and their loved ones on the complex journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment and care management. Medical oncology services are provided to patients by medical oncologists Dianna Shipley, MD, and William Liggett, MD.
New technology at the Carpenter Cancer Center includes Varian TrueBEAM, which allows newer, quicker, and more accurate radiation oncology support, a new GE PET/CT scanner and a CT simulator. Previously, most patients diagnosed with cancer in Sumner County had to drive to Nashville to receive a PET/CT scans. Patients can now receive this service close to home. The center also offers additional support services for cancer patients and members of their families, including education, pastoral care, nutrition services and support groups.
“The Carpenter Cancer Center will have an enormous impact on cancer patients in and around Sumner County,” said McClure. “Our hope is that by offering these services close to home, we will be able to minimize the challenges and stress that often comes with cancer diagnosis and treatment, making care more comfortable and convenient for our patients. We are so fortunate and grateful to have a beautiful, new comprehensive center, specially designed to meet the needs of our patients and their families.”
Batten & Shaw Inc. completed the construction and renovation project, which began in July 2015. Located at Sumner Station on Big Station Camp Boulevard right off Vietnam Veterans bypass in Gallatin, the Carpenter Cancer Center is just seven miles from Sumner Regional Medical Center. To learn more about the Carpenter Cancer Center and its services, click here.