New Johnson Family Cancer Center getting ready to open in Muskegon

The lakeshore will soon be home to one of the most unique cancer centers in West Michigan. The new $13 million Johnson Family Cancer Center in Muskegon.

When you walk into the center you'll notice plenty of windows and lots of natural light. Medical Director Dr. Nina Johnson says that's exactly what they wanted. "We definitely want them to feel comfortable and to feel that they can get all of their medical needs taken care of here," says Dr. Johnson. And that's what makes the new cancer center unique.

Patients can get both medical oncology and radiation treatment in the same building, allowing doctors to communicate face to face. "The whole concept is we want to make it seamless for the patient," says Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson also says the center is completely paperless using computers for everything from patient charts to x-rays. "This is my chart and again you don't have to be carrying the chart around every place you go. You have the access to the patient information right at your finger tips."

The chemotherapy room also has a unique design with plenty of windows and semi-private treatment areas. ?There will be a TV section and a place for them to hang their coat. This will be their room." The cancer center also has the most up to date cancer technology. The radiation room has a doorless entry and houses the Trilogy Linear Accelerator. Dr. Johnson says it gives radiation to tumors with almost pinpoint accuracy, saving more of the healthy tissue around the area.

"In the past, we used to line them up by bony anatomy. Now, we have markers within the organ that you're treating, so you know you are being extremely accurate."

That also cuts down on the amount of time a patient will spend in the treatment room. "Instead of 20-30 minutes for a patient now you can treat the patient in 10 minutes,? says Dr. Johnson. The center also has a CT Simulator that accounts for patient motion, which Dr. Johnson says is especially helpful in treating lung cancer. "So if you have a lung tumor, sometimes it can move two centimeters up and down. What this machine allows for is when the target moves out of the field, the machine stops until the target moves back into the area of treatment." The Johnson Family Cancer Center in Muskegon will open in just a few weeks on April 14th for medical oncology patients. The center will begin seeing radiation therapy patients in May. You can see a complete tour of the cancer center by clicking here