NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga-Landaverde recently gave a tour of the hospital’s renovated Radiation Oncology Suite to Queens BP Donovan Richards. Photo courtesy of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Sept. 16, 2024 By Czarinna Andres
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has officially reopened its upgraded Radiation Oncology department for advanced cancer treatments.
The $5.5 million renovation, funded by the Queens Borough President’s Office, equips the department with life-saving radiation therapy tools, including the Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerator (LINAC), a machine designed to treat cancer wherever it’s found in the body and a radiation therapy planning CT scanner called the GE Discovery RT CT Simulator.
Dr. Helen Arteaga-Landaverde, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, highlighted the importance of the upgraded facility. “We are pleased to be able to offer our cancer patients the most advanced and up-to-date radiation oncology treatments in a compassionate, safe, and warm atmosphere that is close to home,” she said. “As a hospital on the front lines of serving low-income and vulnerable Queens residents, many of whom also only seek cancer treatment once they have reached advanced stages of illness, it is vital that we have access to the best medical technology to treat them.
The newly renovated suite offers a range of specialized treatments, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided and surface-guided radiation therapy, electron beam therapy, and three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. The department is fully operational and currently accepting new patients.
“Ensuring that our hospital and our clinicians have access to the latest innovations in radiation therapy will improve long-term outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. Laura Iavicoli, Chief Medical Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. “On behalf of the medical team at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, I want to thank the Queens Borough President’s Office for this critical investment in our Radiation Oncology services,” she said.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards with the Radiation Oncology Team in front of the hospital’s new Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine. Photo courtesy of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
“Cancer has touched all of our lives in one way or another, but those afflicted with the disease should never have their prognosis be determined by their ZIP code or socioeconomic status,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., emphasizing the importance of equitable healthcare access. “Elmhurst Hospital is delivering top-quality care, and my office is proud to have allocated $5.5 million to such a critical project, which will impact the lives of so many of our neighbors.”
The Radiation Oncology department at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst is now open and accepting new patients. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 718-334-5009.
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