LVH-Pocono’s Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center Celebrates 10 Years of Providing Life-Saving Cancer Treatments

The Pocono community recently came together to mark the 10th anniversary of Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Pocono’s Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center. For the last decade, the Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center has been providing lifesaving cancer care to residents of the Poconos and surrounding regions, treating more than 7,000 patients in that time.

At the event, guests were invited to tour the center before listening to remarks from Lehigh Valley Health Network leadership, including President and Chief Executive Officer Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, and Physician in Chief of the Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Suresh Nair, MD. Each of the speakers shared details about the Hughes Cancer Center’s many milestones over the years, as well as the hope for continued growth and advancements in treatments. Some of the plans underway include:

• The addition of eight infusion bays
• New space for physicians
• Renovation and expansion of the pharmacy

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the prestigious Presidential Award for Philanthropy to Kevin Hughes and his wife Patricia, who donated a lead gift of $5.25 million during the capital campaign, helping to build the cancer center that bears his parents’ names.

More than a decade ago, through the exceptional generosity of the Hughes family and so many other community members, the Pocono Foundation raised more than $26 million to build, furnish and staff the cancer center. The 59,000-square-foot, multidisciplinary cancer center opened in June 2012 and remains the premier cancer treatment center in the Pocono region, utilizing the most advanced equipment and procedures available. The leading-edge cancer treatments and technologies at the Hughes Cancer Center make it possible for people in the Pocono region to receive lifesaving care close to home.

In 2015, the Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center entered a treatment partnership agreement with Lehigh Valley Cancer Institute, and in 2017 the center became part of Lehigh Valley Health Network. One year later, the center was extended membership into the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance) as part of the Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute. This membership provides patients access to pioneering clinical trials at MSK, providing further opportunities for hope.

In addition to the clinical trials, services available at the Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and advanced diagnostic imaging. The center also provides numerous support services that care for the emotional, financial, nutritional and psychological needs of patients and their families.