West Michigan Cancer Center

West Michigan Cancer Center Program Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

TERRY MCKAY: I would define a human services professional as someone who has a great deal of passion for human needs; whether they are shelter, food, health care, or whatever the need of the human spirit requires. In my particular profession, we deal with patients and we treat patients with cancer. So, they have a great deal of needs for treatment, but they also have needs that affect their family life, their everyday life, their work life. One of the major drivers of anyone who works with cancer patients, in particular, is compassion.

There was a national search for a CEO to head up this comprehensive cancer center called the West Michigan Cancer Center, which is a joint venture of two competing hospitals here in Kalamazoo.

In 1992, the two hospitals Borgess and Bronson hospitals were both in need of very expensive radiation therapy equipment. Back then; each piece of this equipment would be costing over 1 million dollars. At that time, the CEO of Upjohn, the very large pharmaceutical company here in Kalamazoo that is now Pfizer and some other city fathers got together and suggested that perhaps a joint venture might be in order so that we would not have duplication of very costly equipment here in Kalamazoo. So, they came together and they were intent on building a joint venture and having a radiation therapy center alone.

There was someone who went to national meetings and said who is one of the top five individuals in the business of oncology who knows how to build a cancer center and manage it and my name came up.

I got a phone call from Kalamazoo, Michigan, in Philadelphia at my desk. And they said, “Will you come for an interview.” I have to admit the farthest and the only place I had ever been in the Midwest was Chicago. I had no idea about Kalamazoo, Michigan. I had not even heard the song about I had a gal in Kalamazoo.

I have my undergraduate degree and graduate degree in business administration and my graduate degree is from the University of Pennsylvania. So, presumably, I could run any kind of a business. But there is no other business than that of taking care of cancer patients that I would want to embark upon.

(TERRY WITH ASSISTANT)

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West Michigan Cancer Center

How I got into the profession is I rather fell into because I had a very close friend who was in a position to recommend me for what turned out to be the job of my lifetime working for an internationally renowned cancer expert in Philadelphia at Hahnemann University who I worked with for 21 years and was a mentor of mine and taught me everything that I know about the specialty of oncology and also everything I know about how to run a business. So, I was pretty blessed into coming into that position and it was my passion and my compassion that kept me in this field of oncology.

The evolution of caring for a cancer patient has taken a very long road from back in 1992 when this was, this concept was first developed and of having a comprehensive cancer center with all services under one roof. When we first started, we had the basics. We had medical oncology, chemotherapy, radiation therapy. But, you know then there was some studies that came out very early on in the 90s about exercise improving and staving off recurrence of breast cancer. And, that kind of was the kernel of what more can we do for our patients, what more can we do to get their life back.Discussion 2: Personal Challenges
This course has focused on the goal of changing the world through one person, one organization, and one community at a time. Through course readings, media, and learning activities, you have gained insights to this exciting field and challenging task of igniting change. For this Discussion, reflect on what you believe will be most challenging for you, as a human services professional aspiring to influence change. Consider strategies you might use to overcome these challenges and positively impact clients.
With these thoughts in mind:

Post a brief description of what you believe will be most challenging for you, as a human services professional, based on the topics covered in this weeks media presentation. Explain two strategies you might use to address these potential challenges. Include specific examples of how you might implement these strategies.