WED AM News: Froedtert & MCW break ground on proton therapy project; WisBusiness: the Show with Michael Riechers, Dane County Regional Airport
In The News | May 3, 2023
Colin Schmies, WIS Business
— The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network has broken ground on a site where advanced radiation therapy will be delivered.
The network recently announced it has begun preparations for installing a new proton therapy system at its cancer center campus in Milwaukee. This form of cancer therapy is not yet available in Wisconsin, and Froedtert and the MCW say they expect to begin offering it starting in 2025.
Proton therapy relies on “high-energy beams of proton particles” rather than X-rays to deliver precise doses of radiation to cancerous tumors, the release shows. Because this treatment can send high levels of radiation in a targeted way, cancer can be affected while nearby healthy tissues and organs are spared.
According to the health network, that means proton therapy can offer “more effective cancer control and better quality of life for patients,” with less severe side effects and fewer secondary cancers related to the treatment itself.
Dr. Christopher Schultz, a professor with MCW and chairman of the Clinical Cancer Center’s radiation oncology department, says the groundbreaking marks a milestone in the networks’ radiation therapy development.
“We have been at the forefront of clinical, technical and administrative experience in developing clinical programs with the goal of providing more personalized treatments,” Schultz said in a statement. “Proton therapy supports our ongoing commitment to developing and offering world-class, innovative cancer care to all of the patients in the diverse communities we serve.”
Once the therapy is available in Wisconsin, adult cancer patients won’t have to travel as far to access it, the release shows. That’s expected to benefit many patients, as nearly a third of all patients in the state with cancer will undergo radiation therapy at some point.
The Froedtert & MCW health network says it will also offer proton therapy to pediatric patients through a partnership with Children’s Wisconsin. Once available, it will be offered to patients getting care at the MACC Fund Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee Hospital.
— Madison and Milwaukee have joined 43 other cities and counties nationwide in a court brief urging a Texas federal court to reverse its decision to rescind the Food and Drug Administration’s mifepristone approval.
For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.
— The latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show” features Michael Riechers, director of marketing and communications for the Dane County Regional Airport.
He discusses progress at the airport, reasons to “fly local” and the arrival of F-35a fighter jets at adjacent Truax Field.
“In 2023, we had just shy of 1.9 million passengers annually, which puts us, comparative to pre-pandemic, around the 2018 level,” Riechers said. “However, the first few months of 2023 are consistently our strongest months since the pandemic. So it’s been a really exciting time here at the airport.”
The show also previews upcoming events hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council.
— State agencies have rolled out a new toolkit aimed at helping local officials address PFAS contamination in their communities.
The Departments of Health Services and Natural Resources, along with Wisconsin Emergency Management, yesterday announced the “Wisconsin’s Community Response to PFAS in Drinking Water” tool is now available.
The document includes an overview on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are a group of synthetic chemicals used in household items that have been found to cause human health problems. It also details options for elected officials including how to get help from state agencies.
“Everyone should be able to drink clean water and PFAS contamination is a growing concern,” DNR Secretary Adam Payne said in a release. “We’re pleased to provide this resource to residents, community leaders and elected officials so they can get assistance and we can work in collaboration to problem-solve.”
During an event held yesterday by conservation group Wisconsin’s Green Fire and UW-Madison’s Division of Extension, an expert with the engineering and professional services firm WSP said “there is no silver bullet” for addressing PFAS contamination in drinking water.
“Technology is out there, but the ability to pivot to use that technology for drinking water is really challenging,” said Shalene Thomas, global emerging contaminants program manager for WSP, which is headquartered in Canada.
Speakers at yesterday’s event noted existing solutions for eliminating environmental PFAS chemicals are energy-intensive and costly, though efforts to improve them continue. Mike Ursin, a Madison-based environmental consultant with the global firm TRC Companies, said PFAS “is still an emerging contaminant.”
“We’re still evaluating it, and we’re still working on these solutions,” he said.
— Gov. Tony Evers has appointed two new members to the UW System Board of Regents and reappointed Regent Joan Prince.
That leaves three regents appointed by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker with Evers’ picks now holding a 13-3 majority.
Prince was appointed in February to fill a vacancy left by former Regent Tracey Klein, a Walker appointee, to fill the remainder of Klein’s term, which ended Monday.
Evers yesterday also announced the appointment of former Assembly Minority Leader Jim Kreuser and Evan Brenkus, a First Nations and mathematics student at UW-Green Bay. They replace former Regents Scott Beightol and Brianna Tucker, whose terms expired Monday.
Beightol was a Walker appointee. That leaves three Walker appointees of 16 gubernatorial appointees on the board: Regents Robert Atwell, Mike Jones and Cris Peterson. Atwell and Jones’ terms expire in May 2024 and Peterson’s expires in May 2025.
Kreuser represented Kenosha as a Dem in the state Assembly from 1993-2008 and served as Kenosha County exec from 2008-2022. He is a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s from UW-Parkside.
Brenkus works as a resident mentor at UW-Green Bay and is involved in the Student Government Association, Intertribal Student Council and Mathematics Club.
“I know these folks don’t take lightly the responsibility of their role in supporting the UW System and making sure it continues to be the gem of our state, and I look forward to our work together to do just that,” Evers said in a statement.
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