OSF Healthcare in Galesburg is introducing a new service for the residents of Galesburg.

The new technology will treat future cancer patients with the use of radiation technology, so those patients in the Galesburg area won’t have to travel far for treatment. Lisa DeKezel is President for OSF Healthcare in Galesburg and Monmouth and

“Most recently, the loss of a very close friend at the age of 40,” said Lisa DeKezel, President for OSF Healthcare in Galesburg and Monmouth, remembered her friend who was lost to breast cancer, and that loss inspired her to expand OSF in Galesburg to implement cancer treatment options. “To see her family navigate that, and with her traveling great distances to fight that fight DeKezel said. “In my conversations with her, really talking with me, saying ‘Lisa, we have to do something. We have to do something to better serve our rural communities that are battling this and are requiring to be away from their families.'”

OSF in Galesburg will provide radiation oncology services to the surrounding community, something most people had to travel more than 50 miles for. A temporary radiation oncology unit will be used for the time being, allowing doctors to find and detect cancer before it spreads. OSF in Peoria has similar offerings, and will be able to assist doctors in Galesburg.

“This is a large enough community that we really need a level of service here to match that size of the population,” Ryan Luginbuhl, OSF’s Director for Oncology Service Lines, said. “This can be fully connected to Peoria and its amazing resources, and, for example, have the radiation oncologist here be connected with the team of radiation oncologists all over the ministry to present cases. Also, to ensure the quality of care here is just as good here for certain types of cancers as they are anywhere else.”

In 2022, OSF Healthcare purchased the old Galesburg Cottage Hospital located on Kellogg Street. Today, it has turned into the OSF Prompt Care Facility. Since that purchase in 2022, OSF Healthcare has been the sole hospital provider for residents in the Galesburg area. Representatives with OSF told Our Quad Cities News they were happy to provide locals the care they needed without having to travel long distances.