LAURINBURG — The Scotland Cancer Treatment Center became a source of hope and support for Beachum McDougald after he learned he had stage 3 prostate cancer.
McDougald said he leaned on the cancer center’s oncologist, nurses, support staff and his religious faith to carry him through the past 18 months.
“During one visit last summer, I literally broke down and cried after hearing unfortunate test results,” McDougald said.
He recalled how a registered nurse pulled his chair into a private area, listened and gave him the space to share his frustrations.
“She later shared some comforting words. She was a cancer survivor times two and the role faith played in that process,” McDougald said.
McDougald said his experience was proof of Scotland Health’s motto, “Closer Care, Better By Far.”
Soon, more patients across the region will have access to that same level of care.
Scotland Health leaders, medical professionals, trustees, elected officials and community members gathered in July to celebrate the upcoming expansion of the Scotland Cancer Treatment Center during a groundbreaking ceremony outside the current facility.
Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with completion expected in about two years.
The expansion will add a covered entrance and 24 parking spaces to improve patient access and safety, along with five exam rooms, two consultation rooms for genetic testing, nutrition counseling and patient education, and dedicated on-site phlebotomy services.
The project will also include five additional treatment chairs, three private treatment bays for patients with contagious conditions, expanded waiting areas, a private exit for patients completing treatment, a nourishment area and additional restrooms within the chemotherapy suite to improve patient comfort and privacy.
For the past 26 years, the Scotland Cancer Treatment Center has provided oncology care for patients throughout Scotland, Robeson, Marlboro and surrounding counties.
Scotland Health CEO David Pope said the expansion reflects both the region’s growing need for cancer care and the health system’s commitment to keeping that care close to home.
“It’s a shame in a way that our cancer center business is so big,” Pope said. “We have a disproportionate burden of cancer and disease here in Scotland County that is tied to some of the larger challenges that we face as a rural place in North Carolina that has barriers to health.”
Pope said the project is another example of Scotland Health’s continued investment in bringing high-quality care to the region.
Dr. Madhu Chaudhry, medical director of the Scotland Cancer Treatment Center, said the expansion represents hope for patients and families facing one of life’s most difficult moments.
“As a medical oncologist, I’ve had the privilege of taking care of so many patients and families in this community… I know firsthand that a cancer diagnosis is one of the most difficult moments in a person’s life,” Chaudhry said.
She said the project is about more than expanding a building.
“Today we celebrate something that brings hope. This expansion is not just bricks and mortar. It represents our commitment to ensuring in this rural community received exceptional care ‘closer to home, better by far’ while being surrounded by the support of their family and friends.”
Chaudhry said investing in the cancer center is also an investment in the community.
“No one should have to travel hours to receive passionate, high-quality car … together we are investing in the health of our neighbors and the future of this community,” Chaudhry said.
Carol McCall, who served on the capital campaign committee for the project, has also experienced the importance of receiving cancer care close to home.
Her husband, Wilson, was diagnosed with cancer in April 2016. When his oncologist learned the family lived in Laurinburg, McCall said they were told the care he needed was available right there.
“That was truly a godsend,” McCall said. “For us to be local and have state-of-the-art treatment, [that] was something that we could not have anticipated.”
She said receiving treatment in Laurinburg allowed her husband to maintain his independence.
“Wilson was able to be independent in his care. He felt at home at the center in the town that had been his home for 69 years,” she said.
McCall said the compassion extended beyond her husband’s treatment.
She recalled that his physician was with her and her children on the day he died.
“You might hear that it was exceptional care, and it was, but what I had come to learn is that it’s the standard practice of care for all patients at the Scotland Cancer Center,” McCall said.
She said the expansion will ensure future patients receive that same level of compassionate care close to home.
“This expansion ensures future patients and their families can receive local supportive and compassionate care right here in Laurinburg,” McCall said.