Andrew Love Cancer Centre celebrates 25 years
More than 100 guests helped Barwon Health celebrate the Andrew Love Cancer Centre’s 25th birthday on 15 June 2017.
The event at University Hospital Geelong was held to honour the hard work of hospital staff and volunteers, commemorate the history of the facility, which treats more than 10,000 patients a year, and to highlight the Geelong community’s generosity that has funded the Andrew Love Cancer Centre’s (ALCC) redevelopment.
In recognition of a generous bequest left by the late Beth Allerton, it was announced the Oncology Pharmacy at the ALCC will be named The Allerton Family Pharmacy.
Mrs Allerton passed away on 29 March 2016, aged 96 years, wishing to support cancer services in the Geelong region in the form of a bequest to the Barwon Health Foundation’s Project Love.
Over the past 18 months, the Barwon Health Foundation team has worked to raise $3 million for Project Love, aiming to redevelop Barwon Health’s ALCC Chemotherapy Day Ward and Oncology Pharmacy.
Thanks to the generosity of many donors, supporters and event attendees, the project is close to reaching its goal, which will allow the redevelopment to begin.
Premier Joan Kirner opened the ALCC on 5 July 1992, as Victoria’s first regional cancer centre.
The ALCC continues to provide radiation therapy services to the Barwon South West region, having expanded to three treatment machines and 21 radiation therapists and treating more than 1000 patients a year.
More than 10,000 patients a year walk through the doors of the Chemotherapy Day Ward, with all chemotherapy drugs made on-site in the Oncology Pharmacy.
In 2015, the Oncology Ward moved to the new Baxter 6 ward to incorporate an apheresis and stem cell transplant service. Last year, the Supportive Care Centre opened to provide a holistic service for cancer patients.
ALCC Senior Radiation Therapist Marilyn Proctor began working in Geelong when the centre opened and has seen it evolve over the past 25 years.
“There were only six staff members so we’ve grown a lot since then and moved forward,” she said.
“The department has got bigger as demand grew along with the advancement in treatment modalities.
“It’s an interesting field to work in because the environment is continually changing.”
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