Capital Region to be home to newest, most advanced proton therapy center in the Gulf South

PROVIDENT RESOURCES GROUP, BATON ROUGE HEALTH INSTITUTIONS TO BUILD $85M LOUISIANA PROTONCARE CENTER

(Baton Rouge, La.) The Capital Region will soon be home to one of only a handful of proton therapy centers in the nation. Provident ProtonCare – a division of Provident Resources Group - announced today that it will open a proton therapy center in partnership with healthcare providers in greater Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Health District. The new facility will bring proton radiation therapy, one of the most sophisticated, breakthrough forms of cancer treatment, to the capital region through an $85 million combined investment.
 
“We are excited to add proton therapy to the services being offered by the Health District partners to enhance care for many types of cancers, allowing patients across the region to receive care closer to home,” said John Spain, executive vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. “We are thankful so many players are coming to the table to help bring this breakthrough cancer treatment facility to the Gulf South.”

Projected to open in late 2019, the facility is expected to be located near the junction of Interstates 10 and 12 in Baton Rouge, and will be the latest addition to the Baton Rouge Health District. Provident ProtonCare will own and operate the Louisiana ProtonCare Center, and Provident’s long-term partner Ion Beam Applications SA will provide proton therapy technology – the Proteus® PLUS system – for the ProtonCare Center. A collaborative venture composed of Health District members including Baton Rouge General Medical Center, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, and Woman’s Hospital will serve as the ProtonCare Center’s clinical partners, acting as an extended regional network to provide patients access to treatment when proton therapy is appropriate.

“This innovation is a gleaming example of what can be accomplished when the talent, expertise and teamwork of local healthcare providers and businesses are marshaled for a higher purpose. The new center comes from a shared desire to do more for cancer patients and will expand the already significant cancer care capabilities in the region,” said Suzy Sonnier, executive director of the Baton Rouge Health District.

Todd Stevens, president and CEO of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, said the collaboration will provide for superior proton capabilities and a powerful new tool to treat cancer. “Through clinically-proven technology and a team of worldwide leaders in innovation and science located in Baton Rouge, bringing this lifesaving initiative to fruition is inevitable.”
 
Proton therapy is known for successfully destroying tumor cells through a targeted, high-energy dose of radiation that spares healthy tissues and organs and reduces side effects. The technology has been used to treat more than 75,000 patients worldwide, and has been shown to significantly improve outcomes for certain rare adult tumors. Proton therapy has also shown promise in treating more common cancers, such as brain, breast, GYN, head and neck, lung, pancreatic, prostate and soft tissue. The Louisiana ProtonCare Center will be a multi-room facility, allowing for a greater number of patients to be served.
 
Baton Rouge General President and CEO Edgardo Tenreiro said, “We are fortunate in Baton Rouge to have some of the most talented teams in the country working to treat cancer. This proton therapy center will be a great addition to the comprehensive programs in our community, allowing people all over Louisiana and the South to stay closer to home for this innovative treatment.”
 
Steve Hicks, Chairman and CEO of Provident Resources Group Inc., said, “It has been Provident’s vision over the past decade to bring this amazing technology to the Capital Region to serve the citizens of our region and treat cancer.” Provident has assembled a national team of experts in proton therapy projects for the development, financing, design and construction of the Louisiana ProtonCare Center that includes Gilbane Development Company, Gilbane Building Company, Stantec Architects (formerly VOA) and Citigroup Global Markets.
 
Adam Knapp, chief executive officer and president of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, said that this development will further position Baton Rouge as a healthcare industry leader. There are currently only six proton therapy centers in the Southeast, with the closest locations in Shreveport, LA, Jacksonville, FL and Houston, TX. The Baton Rouge facility will be one of approximately 25 such centers in the country. “This announcement confirms the Baton Rouge Area as a center for top-tier healthcare and specialized medicine,” said Knapp. “It will further cement the Baton Rouge Health District as a destination for new forms of cancer therapy that are truly cutting-edge."

For more information about the Baton Rouge Health District go to www.brhealthdistrict.com.
 
About the Baton Rouge Health District: The Baton Rouge Health District is a coalition of patient-focused, innovative healthcare organizations committed the vision of a world-class, high performing health destination at the heart of a healthy and vibrant community. The district promotes collaboration among healthcare providers, government officials, payors, higher education institutions and others to implement a master plan that will enhance healthcare and economic development in Baton Rouge.