Los Robles Hospital plans development of cancer wing
Los Robles Hospital has recently announced a plan to expand the existing hospital to include a Comprehensive Cancer Center. This new cancer wing is set to provide many services, including various forms of oncological treatment, counseling and support services, prosthetics and a healing garden.
Nick Johnson, Vice President of Operations at Los Robles Health System, believes that the cancer wing will impact cancer patients and the community as a whole in a positive way. “Los Robles Health System is proposing a Comprehensive Cancer Center to provide quality care to cancer patients across the Conejo Valley and surrounding communities,” Johnson said.
As oncology facilities are scattered throughout the county, patients are often forced to switch between hospitals to get the care they need. “With nausea, fatigue and other symptoms, cancer patients currently have to go from office-to-office throughout the city, adjacent cities or even travel to LA and beyond. Having a cancer diagnosis is trying enough, our patients should have an option to have all of the resources they need in a centralized location,” Johnson said.
The center will include diverse services to account for all patients’ needs. “With a full service Comprehensive Cancer Center, cancer patients will be able to go to one central location and have access to the multitude of services they need,” Johnson said.
With the option of financial support through this system, the staff hopes to reach a greater number of people in need of treatment.
The cancer center would be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, allowing patients to be able to come during the week by appointment.
The parking lot for this department will have around 230 spots, guaranteeing no traffic issues or negative impact towards the community. “Los Robles is dedicated to being a good neighbor to all of the surrounding neighborhoods that border our campuses and to the wonderful residents of the cities in which our facilities reside in and serve,” Johnson said.
Some officials have specific concerns regarding the need for more housing in the area instead of the expensive undertaking of an addition to the hospital, but the Thousand Oaks planning commision is persistent in their efforts to convince the council to approve the project.
Commissioners voted 4-1 in support of the wing at a meeting March 11 in hopes of swaying officials to approve the expansion. “We have conducted extensive community outreach both with our neighbors and with the greater community. We know our immediate neighbors have concerns, but we strongly believe that will be dispelled once we are operational,” Johnson said.
“In our talks with the community at large the support has been overwhelming for the Comprehensive Cancer Center acknowledging it is a long overdue need in the Conejo Valley,” Johnson said.
