Fremont Health Foundation Focuses on Cutting-Edge Cancer Care

Andrea Emmons received a call from her OB/GYN with the devastating news: She had stage 4 cervical cancer.

The young mother of two turned to the team at Methodist Fremont Health Cancer Center for months of treatment and individualized care. Receiving that care close to home allowed her to continue working full time and manage her family’s active life.

“Our cancer patients receive care from a highly trained medical team,” said Shawn Shanahan, executive director of Fremont Health Foundation. “But in order to provide the best outcomes possible, that team needs best-in-class technology.”

With that goal in mind, Fremont Health Foundation has launched a capital campaign to raise $2 million to purchase a new TrueBeam linear accelerator — which sends carefully calibrated beams of radiation into the human body to destroy cancer cells.

The cancer center’s current linear accelerator has been in use since 2003. While it continues to serve patients well, the technological advancements in the new accelerator will allow for more precise, effective radiation delivery and additional treatment options for patients who need it most.

Fifty-two percent of cancer patients typically need radiation therapy, and radiation treatments are often scheduled five days a week for a month or longer. For some, receiving comprehensive cancer care can require significant travel, which can be a roadblock for some patients.

Although the cancer center provides treatment to people primarily in and around Dodge County, it has provided care to patients from more than 60 Nebraska communities.

“Life after a cancer diagnosis is filled with all sorts of challenges, but it shouldn’t have to include the burden of travel,” Shanahan said. “Getting cancer care close to home is less of a burden for the patient.”

To make a donation or to request more information, contact:

Shawn Shanahan
Executive Director of Development
Fremont Health Foundation
(402) 727-3566