[Fergus Falls, MN] The Lake Region Healthcare Cancer Center in Fergus Falls opened in 2010 when the community came together to invest in building a center that would make specialists, a cancer team and the technology needed to offer cancer care close to home. Built by the caring spirit of the community, the Cancer Center continues to grow.
One expression of that caring spirit happened on Tuesday, December 6th, when Allan Schroden presented a $5,000 memorial gift to the Lake Region Healthcare Cancer Care and Research Center in honor and remembrance of his wife, Pamela. The gift was a combination of memorials received and then matched by the Schroden’s in gratitude for all of the kind, compassionate care Pamela received during her yearlong treatment for metastatic lung cancer.
“For Pamela and I, having such quality comprehensive cancer care here, so close to home, was a great blessing, shared Pam’s husband, Allan. “As Registered Nurses, and longtime Fergus Falls residents, we both felt great comfort being able to receive personalized care from staff who were or became our friends, neighbors, and colleagues.” Schroden explained that during the course of Pamela’s treatments there were often times she needed chemotherapy three to five days per week. In the weeks with no treatments planned, there were lab tests, other tests and scans, and appointments with a variety of providers.
“We cringed at the thought of having to drive, even just an hour, for all of this care,” Allan said. “In total, we were at LRH/CCRC for 128 visits, including 19 Oncologist appointments, 37 separate trips for lab draws and scans, 47 chemotherapy infusions, and 16 appointments with other providers. If you add it all up, we saved over 15,000 miles by having this care here at home.” From Ophthalmology to Cardiology, Primary Care to Gynecology, General Surgery to Urology, it is all available at LRH, and Schroden added that local access to Ultrasound exams, CT, MRI, and PET scans and diagnostic and therapeutic Interventional Radiologists is also beneficial. “Though we did not need radiation oncology services, state of the art radiation therapy is here as well.”
“We are so grateful to the Schroden family for the opportunity to honor Pam’s memory as we continue to advance cancer care for our region,” said Laura Gervais with the Lake Region Healthcare Foundation. “The incredible impact of philanthropy is profound, and the effects spread far and wide. It’s because of donors like the Schroden’s that we can continue to offer cancer care close to home.”
To thank and invite our local community for their support of the Cancer Center, The LRH Foundation will be hosting a Holiday Open House on Thursday, December 15th. The event will be an opportunity to meet the cancer center team, including new Radiation Oncologist Dr. Mark Cooper and soon to join LRH Medical Oncologist Dr. Anthony Rooney. Visitors can tour the center and see expanded services for local cancer patients including a new linear accelerator and a new PET CT Scanner, both installed in 2022. There will be refreshments and cards to write an encouraging message that will be given to cancer patients and their families the week of Christmas.
The Open House will run from Noon to 6pm on the 15th and is open to the public.
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Photo – Cancer Center Staff accepting gift from Allen Schroden in the cancer center lobby on December 6th. Pictured left to right; Left to Right Laura Gervais, Liz Ukkelberg, Chaplain Burke Lindvall, Heidi Friedrichs, Kristi Spanswick, Chelsea Reiff, Lucinda Ver Steeg, Karessa Arbuckle, Mackinzie Ohren-Shores, Allan Schroden, Aly Huntley, Melissa Olson, Michelle Lohse, Leah Weber, Tammy Mark, Melanie White.