Letter: Radiation therapy coming to Moses Lake

Radiation therapy for cancer involves many consecutive days of going to a treatment center, getting changed into a gown, having the treatment, getting changed back into your clothing, and then trying to go about the remainder of your day, frequently for several weeks. Currently, cancer patients in the Columbia Basin must either add to this daily effort a drive to Wenatchee, Spokane or Yakima, or live away from home during radiation therapy.

However, thanks to the generosity of the region, individuals, businesses, and the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, the need for those long drives will soon end. The residents of this area have come together to raise more than $3.5 million to bring this vital treatment to Moses Lake. Your commitment to providing access to quality cancer treatment is outstanding and I applaud and thank you.

Building a radiation treatment facility in Moses Lake is a top priority for the board, physicians and staff of Confluence Health and we are fully committed to bringing cancer care closer to home for the Columbia Basin. The Confluence board has approved a total project cost of $12.4M, and final architectural design, planning and permitting with the city of Moses Lake is now being undertaken, and the facility will be state-of-the art. We hope to break ground early in the second quarter of 2022. Please be patient as we make our way through the process; we are going to do it right.

The Basin pulled together as a community to bring this project to life. With the leadership of the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation and the Confluence Health Foundation, you and your neighbors got this done. We are proud to partner with you to advance your local treatment options and help keep you and your loved ones as healthy as you can be.

Peter Rutherford, MD

CEO, Confluence Health

Wenatchee