World-class cancer care in IM

MMC-D had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday that drew roughly 100 people, including all three state lawmakers for the area and Marshfield Clinic Health System’s chief operating officer, Kathy Bressler.

All praised how the center means most cancer patients no longer will have to travel hours away for treatment, such as Green Bay, Marshfield, the Milwaukee area, Madison or even Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

“With the expanded space, we can offer more treatment options and access to cutting-edge cancer research, including clinical trials,” Dr. Gustavo Morel, an oncologist who has been practicing in Iron Mountain since 2001, told the crowd in opening remarks.

“The new cancer center is more than just a building; it is a symbol of Marshfield Clinic Health System’s dedication to expanding access to health care in rural communities,” Morel said. “We understand the unique challenges faced by those living in the Upper Peninsula, and we are committed to ensuring that world-class cancer care is available close to home.”

Shawn Hood, construction superintendent for Gundlach Champion, speaks at the ribbon-cutting event Tuesday for the $10.6 million MMC-D Regional Cancer Center in Iron Mountain. Hood said he is a cancer survivor after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma 13 years ago while working on a hospital project in Iowa City, Iowa, so Gundlach Champion being general contractor on the center “was a special job for me.”

The regional cancer center was part of a $26 million capital investment over five years that Wisconsin-based non-profit Marshfield Clinic Health System pledged when it announced in February 2022 it had finalized an agreement to acquire the former Dickinson County Healthcare System and Dickinson County Memorial Hospital.

Only a few years before MCHS entered the picture, it was unclear whether Iron Mountain would retain its hospital on U.S. 2 at all, state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, noted. DCHS in fall 2018 considered filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after Marquette-based UP Health System and Green Bay, Wis.-based Bellin Health backed away from a possible acquisition of the 1996-built facility.

So it was good to see the hospital come through not just “victorious” but expanding, McBroom said.

“Thank you for making this a stronger community,” McBroom said.

State Reps. Jen Hill, D-Marquette, and Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, whose districts include parts of Dickinson County, spoke as well, with Markkanen saying the center “really fills a void in the U.P. for treatment.” Hill said both her mother and uncle are cancer survivors.

Brandon Baldwin, manager for the new MMC-Dickinson Regional Cancer Center, shows a tour group the linear accelerator vault used for radiation treatments. With most patients on their back, looking up at the ceiling, the room has a simulated night sky with stars and a border that changes colors to create a better “healing environment.”

As is Shawn Hood, the superintendent for general contractor Gundlach Champion of Iron Mountain. He told the story of working on another hospital project in Iowa City, Iowa, when persistent aches and pains drove

him to stop at an urgent care clinic. He ended up diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma but has been cancer-free for 13 years.

“Having grown up and spent my entire life in Iron Mountain, it means a lot to me to see Marshfield Clinic make this investment in our community,” Hood said. “Being a cancer survivor myself, it means that much more. This was a special job for me and I consider myself fortunate to have been the one called on to deliver it.”

He added, “Battling cancer requires a lot of long days. It requires a lot of energy when you have very little, it takes a toll on the individual as well as their support system. Eliminating the travel that was once required for members of our community to receive this same level of care might just be the advantage they need to win the battle.”

Gundlach Champion began construction on the center in early June 2023, and finished major work on the interior in late April, while exterior work wrapped up by the end of May. Hood also cited work done by Dunham Associates, Coleman Engineering, all the subcontractors and “men and women” involved in the project.

Dr. Gustavo Morel, oncologist at Mashfield Medical Center-Dickinson, speaks at the ribbon-cutting event Tuesday for the $10.6 million MMC-D Regional Cancer Center in Iron Mountain. Morel, who has practiced in Iron Mountain since 2001, said the center “can offer more treatment options and access to cutting-edge cancer research.”

The expansion, built on the hospital’s east side where radiation/oncology was already located, adds 8,000 square feet of new space. That includes five exam rooms, one procedure room, a private gowned waiting area for radiation patients, shared consult and conference area and workspace for providers and other staff.

But perhaps the most significant addition is the infusion area, with 12 rooms that allow for up to 13 patients at the same time with increased comfort and privacy. Each room has a heated, massage-capable reclining chair and a television. Most have windows for looking out on the hospital grounds, with shades that can dim or block out the daylight if the person prefers to nap during treatment. Along with 11 private rooms, the infusion area also has a suite with two chairs where friends or family members who might be fighting cancer at the same time can be treated together. The center of this section has a nutrition station for coffee, ice, water and grab-and-go snacks.

The new facility also has a private entrance and waiting room for oncology and radiation patients, with a simulated fireplace and a model sailing ship that was donated as a decoration.

The 2,300 square feet around the linear accelerator, added in 2021, was renovated as well, with a simulated nighttime sky with stars. That piece of equipment is used for radiation treatments.

Groups were invited after the ribbon-cutting to take a 15-minute tour of the new facility led by Brandon Baldwin, center manager. He told them the linear accelerator will receive several upgrades in September, such as HyperSight enhanced imaging and a mechanism that cuts the beam if it detects even slight movements during the precise radiation treatments.

Baldwin pointed out as well the center has heated sidewalks so there will be no chance of patients slipping on ice or snow in winter.

Chris Smith of Engadine, chair of the Single District 10 Lions Pediatric Cancer Program, declared herself impressed after the tour, not just with the equipment and facilities, but even the colors and “ambiance.”

“I think it’s absolutely wonderful,” she said. “This makes me really proud.”

Ron Henriksen, who was with his wife, Carol, and Smith, said he liked the healing atmosphere, saying the center has “got a good feel.”

When diagnosed with prostate cancer 15 years ago, he had to go to Marinette, Wis., for radiation, the member of the Vulcan-Norway Lions Club said.

“So I’ve been waiting for this to open for a long time,” Henriksen said.

The center will have a staff of about 30, some already working at MMC-D, some new. They hope to add a second oncologist to join Dr. Morel.

During the ceremony, MCHS and MMC-D officials thanked the many donors who brought the cancer center’s capital campaign to within $250,000 of what was seen as an “ambitious” $3 million goal.

“Each contribution has not only provided bricks and mortar but has also contributed to the hope and healing of countless individuals and families facing cancer,” said Jill Steckbauer, MCHS gift officer.

She singled out lead donors Dr. Paul Trump, a retired former DCHS surgeon, and his wife, Judy Trump, who helped develop the Memorial Hospital League more than 50 years ago to raise funds for the local hospital.

“Their extraordinary generosity and belief in our mission have set an inspiring example for others to follow,” Steckbauer said.

Mandy Shelast, president of Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson and Marshfield’s Michigan region, quoted cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead on seeing the “dream” of a cancer center become a reality: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.