The Lakeland Auxiliary, St. Joseph, has pledged $500,000 toward the construction of Lakeland HealthCare’s regional cancer center, a new medical facility to be located at the Lakeland Health Park in Royalton Township, St. Joseph.

The Lakeland Auxiliary, St. Joseph, has a long history of supporting healthcare in southwest Michigan. Each year, the Auxiliary’s 385 members donate thousands of hours of service to Lakeland facilities. Volunteers provide a myriad of services, such as assisting clinical staff in nursing units, driving courtesy carts, delivering mail to Lakeland departments, hosting blood drives, and serving customers in the cafe and gift shop.

“We have a lot of great volunteers who are all passionate about serving Lakeland’s patients, associates, and visitors,” said Linda Fites, manager of Volunteer Services, Lakeland HealthCare.

Through various fundraising initiatives, the Lakeland Auxiliary, St. Joseph, has contributed more than $3.1 million toward 65 different programs and services at Lakeland over the past 25 years. Most recently, the Lakeland Auxiliary, St. Joseph, donated $600,000 to create special retreat areas for caregivers in the new patient addition at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph. This tradition of philanthropy makes the Lakeland Auxiliary, St. Joseph, the largest donor in the history of the Lakeland Health Foundations.

“It’s really exciting for the Auxiliary to be part of the new regional cancer center,” said Tina Kirby, interim president of the Lakeland Auxiliary, St. Joseph. “Helping out with special projects like this one is what the Auxiliary is here to do.”

“The generous gifts of the Lakeland Auxiliary, St. Joseph, have been the catalysts for the success of every major fundraising campaign at Lakeland,” said Bill Johnson, president of the Lakeland Health Foundations. “We are deeply grateful that our St. Joseph Auxilians continue to support first-class medical care here in southwest Michigan.”

Lakeland HealthCare’s regional cancer center will provide a full range of oncology services in one accessible location, including diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, education, a resource library, screenings, outpatient surgery, chemotherapy, infusion services, physical therapy, a pharmacy and even an on-site boutique and appearance center for current and former cancer patients. The cancer center will be a two-story, 30,000 square-foot building that will connect to the existing Center for Outpatient Services. Similar to the new patient addition at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph, the cancer center will incorporate evidence-based design principles to enhance clinical outcomes, healing relationships, and the patient experience.

Lakeland hopes to break ground for the new regional cancer center this spring at the Lakeland Health Park, with a projected opening date in the fall of 2011. For more information about supporting the new cancer center, contact the Lakeland Health Foundation at (269) 927-5143.

For more information about oncology services available at Lakeland HealthCare, visit www.lakelandhealth.org.