Harbin Clinic Breaks Ground for Cancer Center

Ground was broken for a regional cancer center that was ten years in the making. Harbin Clinic physicians past and present lined up for the ceremonial groundbreaking at the site where Second Avenue meets West Fifth Street.

Harbin Clinic President Dr. Ken Davis said the seeds for the new regional cancer center were planted a decade ago when former Jimmy Carter advisor Hamilton Jordan suggested the need for regional cancer centers of excellence across the state of Georgia. “We really wanted to consider Rome for a regional center, so the work started then,” said Dr. Davis.

Friday, Bill Todd, CEO of the Georgia Cancer Coalition said, “Rome Georgia will join Columbus, Albany, Savannah and Atlanta with this kind of a regional center.” Todd said the complex, which is expected to be completed by April of 2011 will encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in a profound way.
Harbin Clinic Cancer Center

Rome surgeon Dr. Paul Brock said that few communities have the research and doctors with clinical excellence to compare with the team that will come together in the new Harbin Cancer Center. “These are all major university trained doctors who want to be here. We want to see our patients in the grocery stores and at church,” Brock said.

Dr. Matt Mumber, recognized by the state as a “Distinguished Clinician Scientist” in the field of cancer care said he doesn’t know what cancer care will look like in 30 years but knows the Rome facility will provide the best opportunity for patients and families to get the kind of care they will need. “We will be able to address patient care all levels, mental, emotional and physical,” Dr. Mumber said.

The team concept will be critical in the ongoing development of the new Harbin Cancer Center. Dr. Davis said that early in the planning stages it was apparent to him that he needed to bring the independent cancer physicians, mentioning Dr. Mumber and Dr. James Santoro by name, into the fold with the Harbin Clinic.

“We knew we needed additional young outstanding oncologists,” Dr. Davis said. Davis mentioned Dr. Melissa Dillmon and Dr. Dilawar Khan as among the first to be recruited to Rome. “Melissa told us from the start that she wanted to be associated with a regional center like this,” said Dr. Davis.

Davis saluted officials of both the Floyd Medical Center and Redmond Regional Medical Center for putting down their competitive swords to join hands with Harbin and acquire a state of the art CT-PET scanner that will be housed in the new cancer center.

The project is expected to cost $15 million. Brasfield and Gorrie of Kennesaw will serve as general contractor for the project.

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Harbin Clinic Breaks Ground for Cancer Center