The Gordon Hospital Authority Board recently presented the Howard Jones Cancer Foundation with a $175,000 donation to benefit and be used for the new Radiation Therapy Center being built on the campus of Gordon Hospital.

“This is a wonderful cause,” says Authority Board Chair Nancy Nichols. “The Radiation Therapy Center is going to be a state-of-the-art treatment center and will be a wonderful healthcare asset to our community. We are so proud to be part of this terrific cause that will benefit so many in our community.”

“I can’t thank the Gordon Hospital Authority Board enough for this generous donation,” says Helen Jones, chair of the Gordon Hospital Foundation and founder of the Howard Jones Cancer Foundation. “It is our dream that no one ever hear that dreaded diagnosis, but if they do, we want them to be able to stay here in Calhoun and Gordon County for treatment and that’s exactly what this new facility will allow our patients to do.”

The new Radiation Therapy Center will house a new linear accelerator, which can bombard extremely precise tumor areas with radiation while sparing healthy tissue from exposure. In addition to radiation therapy, the new facility will:

• Be designed to create the most effective, least stressful treatment environment possible;

• Reflect the family and patient friendly environment so evident throughout the main hospital;

• Include the Cancer Resource Center to increase its ease of access and visibility;

• Be designed to easily accommodate future expansion as new technology or additional treatment alternatives become needed.

“We truly appreciate the generosity of the Authority Board in earmarking these funds for the new Radiation Therapy Center,” says Pete Weber, president and CEO of Gordon Hospital. “Their commitment to improving the health and wellness of our community is evident by this significant donation to the project.

Construction on the new Radiation Therapy Center is well underway and should be completed before the end of 2012.