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SAINT MARY’S LAUNCHES THORACIC SURGERY
ONCOLOGY PROGRAM, FIRST IN WEST MICHIGAN

GRAND RAPIDS, MI, November 16, 2004 – Saint Mary’s Health Care has moved one step forward on the establishment of a region’s only highly specialized multidisciplinary cancer diagnosis and treatment center with the recruitment of Dr. Shailen Patel from Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Patel is the region’s first dedicated thoracic surgeon with a subspecialty in oncology. He will provide surgical services for patients with cancers located in the chest cavity including tumors of the lungs, chest wall and esophagus.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both men and women in the United States. “Bringing a dedicated thoracic oncologist to Grand Rapids is just one more in a complete line of sub-specialties Saint Mary’s will be adding to provide the area’s most comprehensive, progressive cancer treatment facilities and programs in the soon to be open Lacks Cancer Center,” said Thomas Gribbin M.D., Medical Director, Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s.

Shailen Patel, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen Medical School, did his general surgical residency at Newhaven Hospital after spending two years in gene therapy studies at Cornell University Medical College. Most recently he finished fellowship in cardio-thoracic surgery at Cornell and thoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York where he performed nearly 1,000 open heart and lung cancer surgeries.

One of Dr. Patel’s research goals is to implement standardized protocols for patients with lung cancer. Patel stated, “Currently only one-third of lung cancers are curable at the time of diagnosis because our classic screening tools are not sensitive enough to detect lung cancer in the early treatable stages.” Patel is expected to perform 260 cases next year.

“The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s is set to be on the leading edge of cancer treatment,” stated Phil McCorkle, President and CEO. “Our success in recruiting such experts as Dr. Patel will allow us to significantly improve the quality of life and survival rates for cancer patients.”

Saint Mary’s is a member of Trinity Health, the country’s fifth largest Catholic healthcare system. Saint Mary’s is a 324-bed hospital employing over 2500 employees with net revenue of $289 million for fiscal year 2003. Saint Mary’s owns two health clubs, four health centers and 13 Advantage Health Physician offices, with more then 80 providers in Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition, Saint Mary’s will be opening the Lacks Cancer Center in December 2004, west Michigan’s only dedicated cancer hospital. For more information about Saint Mary’s, visit www.smhealthcare.org.