On Nov. 1, Kishwaukee Hospital opened its newly built Cancer Care Center, a-one-of-a-kind facility offering a multitude of services all in one location.

Sharon Emanuelson, marketing and public relations director at Kishwaukee Hospital, 1 Kish Drive, said the center offers a variety of services including medical oncology, radiation oncology and services for hematology disorders.

“The thing that’s kind of new about this is that everything is in one place and under one roof,” Emanuelson said. “Before these services were scattered in different buildings. Patients had to go to the hospital to have lab work done and get imaging done. Now everything’s together.”

Emanuelson said the center has a CT imaging lab, massage therapy and an image center carrying skin care products, wigs and clothing. Additionally, the American Cancer Society has a resource center for patients.

The new center also offers more room for patients and their families as well as caregivers.

Emanuelson said patients who undergo chemotherapy at the center have three options for treatment.

“They can be in a group room where they can socialize, they can be in an individual bay where they can sit in a reclining chair or they can be in a private room where they can lay down,” Emanuelson said. “In all areas, there’s plenty of room for caregivers to be with the patients throughout their time.”

The facility also has an outside garden with a walking path for people to enjoy while spending time there.

“Patients who are doing chemotherapy can have a nice view because sometimes they’re there for up to five hours,” Emanuelson said. “They can either watch TV or talk to people or walk outside.”

Emanuelson said the new center is a beautiful facility.

“There’s really a lot of natural light and beautiful artwork,” Emanuelson said. “We had a group of patients who looked at different art, and they really like the vibrant colors. The vibrant nature colors is what they like to give them a positive outlook.”

Emanuelson said the patients especially like the new Cancer Care Center.

“It’s so much more spacious and comfortable,” Emaneulson said. “It reduces the stress because before they had to travel between buildings. It helps patients keep a more positive attitude because it’s so comfortable there and so pretty.”

DeKalb Mayor Kris Povlsen said the new center is a great addition to the medical services offered in the city.

“It really shows the comprehensiveness of the medical services that we have here in the area,” Povlsen said. “We have everything from mental health to primary care physicians to surgery and now cancer treatment. It’s an important thing for this community and the society to have these kinds of essential medical services available.”

Kishwaukee Hospital is having an open house at the new Cancer Care Center tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. The event will include a ribbon cutting as well as a self guided tour, Emanuelson said.

“The DeKalb and Sycamore Chambers will do a joint ribbon cutting at 5:30 [p.m.] and then the public can come and walk through,” Emanuelson said.

For more information about the Cancer Care Center, visit kishhospital.com.