Central Kansas Medical Center

3515 Broadway

Great Bend KS 67530

Cancer Center has a new Name – Heartland Cancer Center

March 6, 2003

Contact: Peggy Robinson, CKMC Vice President of Patient Care Services, (620) 786-6552

or Jettie Zoller, Marketing and Communications (620) 786-6488

[Great Bend] The newest medical facility in Great Bend has a new name. Central Kansas Medical Center announced today that the new cancer treatment facility would be called Heartland Cancer Center. “We asked for suggestions from our employees and the local Cancer Support groups,” explained Thomas W. Sommers, CKMC President/CEO.  “There was a real desire to have the name contain some historical perspective.  Heartland was suggested because it ties to the Dominican Sister’s Heartland Center for Spirituality.  There were many good possibilities, but our Board of Directors thought the Heartland Cancer Center was the best fit.”

The new manager for the Heartland Cancer Center was also named.  Jamie Guesnier RN has been the supervisor for the CKMC 5 North clinic at the hospital for 3 ½ years.  The specialty clinic is the current location of Dr. Greg Nanney’s oncology clinic when he is in Great Bend.  Both Nanney and Dr. Mark Fesen will be the Oncologists providing chemotherapy at the Heartland Cancer Center.  Dr. Claudia Perez-Tomayo from Salina will be the Radiation Oncologist.

Concrete Service Company of Great Bend supplied the Redi-mix concrete in the bunker walls for the cancer center today.  This part of the center will house the linear accelerator that will deliver radiation treatments “Because of the radiation, a physicist was employed to calculate the necessary density and thickness of the concrete,” said Peggy Robinson, CKMC Vice President of Patient Care Services.  The walls will range from 3-8 foot thick, the floor will be a minimum of 4 foot in depth reinforced with steel and the roof will be 3-8 foot thick as well. 

The specifications for this concrete are quite different than ordinary concrete. “This has been a fun challenge so far and has created a lot of interest in our industry,” explained Marc Westhoff of Concrete Services Company. “The whole concept is to make concrete with a minimal amount of water utilizing specialized materials.” It was necessary to import the rock from Oklahoma because of the density requirements outlined in the specifications. “We needed material with the maximum specific gravity much higher than what is indigenous to Kansas.  The physicist specified concrete having a density of 147 lbs. per cubic foot. Ordinary concrete has a density of 130 lbs.  In order to meet the density requirement we modified the mix design, which will also greatly enhance the strength characteristics of the concrete.   Concrete Services Company is the Redi-mix concrete producer and Mid Plains Construction will be placing the concrete in the structure. The 5.3 million-dollar center will be opened in the fall of 2003.