Pictured, from left, Dr. Prasad Mantravadi, of Radiation Oncology Associates; Dr.Musaberk Goksel, medical director of the Cancer Care Center; and Kirk Ray, CEO of Kosciusko Community Hospital.

WARSAW — Lutheran Care Network’s Kosciusko Community Hospital introduced TrueBeam at an open house held at the Cancer Care Center on Provident Drive from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19.

TrueBeam is an innovative system that treats cancer with image-guided radiotherapy. TrueBeam offers improved precision and shorter treatment times. The system performs accuracy checks every ten milliseconds throughout the entire treatment. This improved precision helps avoid damaging healthy cells near the tumor. Patients are also exposed to a smaller x-ray dose.

“It’s a great thing for our community. It’s a great thing for our hospital and for our cancer services in Warsaw and the surrounding communities. In the past you would have had to drive forty-five minutes to an hour for this type of treatment,” said Kirk Ray, CEO of Kosciusko Community Hospital.

Ray stated that TrueBeam was a 4.2 million dollar investment and “our largest capital investment in probably the last five years,” adding that, “We felt it was important for the health of our community and the health of our patients.”

TrueBeam uses new imaging and motion management technologies to significantly reduce treatment time and target tumors more effectively, even if the tumors move or change over time.

Ray thanked clinical and support staff members during his open house speech, specifically for their adjustment to working around construction during the implementation of the TrueBeam system.

Dr. Musaberk Goksel, medical director of Cancer Care Center, praised the doctors and staff from Radiation Oncologist Associates who travel from Fort Wayne to the Cancer Care Center in Warsaw. Goksel stated, “You can bring the latest technology with all the bells and whistles, but who is going to operate it? That’s a big commitment to the patients. They’re a great group and a great support. Without them, we would not be able to offer these treatments to the community. I’m happy to be collaborating with them.”