Slidell Memorial Hospital has moved one step closer to its vision of a comprehensive regional cancer center by appointing JoAnn Forsyth, MHA, to the position of administrator.

Forsyth is currently director of MD Imaging, the hospital’s outpatient imaging facility. She joined SMH in 2005 and has spent more than 20 years working in healthcare management. A native of New Orleans, she earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Radiology from Loyola University and holds an Executive Master of Health Administration degree from Tulane University.

She brings a deep personal commitment to the role of administrator.

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“Years ago, my aunt had pancreatic cancer and was treated at SMH,” she said. “Their personal touch really made an impact.”

Forsyth is no stranger to starting a healthcare facility from the ground up. Early in her career, she helped establish an imaging center in Florida. When she joined SMH, MD Imaging was not part of the hospital, but she had the vision that purchasing the company would help pave the way to first-class cancer care.

The new center, expected to break ground in late 2008 or early 2009, will be a comprehensive facility, housing all elements of cancer care under one roof, from chemotherapy and radiation treatment to counseling and an appearance center. While many of the programs and technologies are already in place, they are scattered all over the hospital’s campus.

Currently, a patient must first register at the Medical Office Building, after which, they might have to make their way to the lab, where they would stand in line, then perhaps navigate the maze of hallways to find radiation therapy. If they need to see a social worker, they must cross the street to that office.

Throw in a visit to the appearance center, and it means going to another building altogether.

All that moving around can be hard on a person undergoing cancer treatment. In addition, it can make it difficult for the medical team to communicate.

“One of the most important things is for a plan of care to be coordinated,” said Forsyth. “It works much better when everyone is together.”

Many of the advanced technologies the center will offer are already in place, and more will come.

The hospital recently instituted high dose rate brachytherapy, also known as implant radiation. The device delivers radiation through a small pellet inserted through a catheter.

The treatment takes less than 30 minutes, does not require hospitalization, and more precisely targets the affected area.

This is the first time the treatment has been offered on the Northshore.

In addition to treatment technology, SMH has invested in the Picture Archiving and Communications System, which transfers and stores all medical imaging procedures performed in the hospital or at MDI. High-resolution workstations installed at all nurses’ stations means patient films can be viewed simultaneously by all caregivers.

“Our doctors currently have a Web portal on their desktop computers, but access is limited,” said Forsyth. “This will allow them to securely access images and test results from anywhere in the hospital.”

Forsyth is excited about the advances already being made and sees more to come.

She is actively working to get the hospital affiliated with a research center that does clinical trials, which means patients won’t have to travel to places like Houston or Baltimore to participate in experimental treatment.

She also envisions a multi-disciplinary clinic at the center, to enable other specialists, such as plastic surgeons, for example, to visit with patients.

For now, she’s focusing on the groundwork, building relationships with physicians and building a team that has the right mindset in providing services to the community. The main challenge, however, is one of simple logistics.

“Next to demonstrating that we’re able to meet patient’s needs, we need to get the shovels in the ground,” she said. “That’s the biggest issue.”