September 26, 2008 
Central Vermont Medical Center, Fletcher Allen Health Care and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center began a cooperative planning process in April 2004 to develop an accessible, cost-effective radiation cancer facility in Berlin, Vermont.
The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Central Vermont Cancer Center took place today. Shovels were wielded by prominent member of the central Vermont community including: John Nicholls, Chair of the CVMC Board of Trustees; Senator Patrick Leahy; Bob Lord, President of E. F. Wall; Dr. Tony Williams, President of the CVMC Medical Staff; Tom MacLeay, Chair, President & CEO, National Life Group; Nancy Formella, President Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; Dr. Jim Wallace, Director, Radiation Oncology at Fletcher Allen Health Care; and Dr. Alan Hartford, Section Chief, Radiation Oncology at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medial Center.
National Life Group today announced a $250,000 contribution to assist in the construction of this radiation therapy facility at Central Vermont Medical Center.
“National Life was a primary force behind the creation of this hospital in the 1960s and we have been committed to its growth and continued success since then,” said Thomas H. MacLeay. “Our strong financial support of this project was never in doubt. Thousands of Vermonters will benefit from having a cancer treatment center here at Central Vermont.
CVMC President and CEO Judy Tarr expressed her thanks to Tom MacLeay and the entire National Life Group for their generous donation to the cancer center. “We are pleased to have the National Life Group as a significant partner in bringing radiation therapy services to the region and the facility will be named The National Life Cancer Treatment Center,” stated Judy Tarr. “Community members and physicians have been asking for this service for many years because of the hardship on patients and families in traveling to existing service sites in Burlington, VT or Lebanon, NH.”
Dr. James Wallace, Director of Radiation Therapy for FAHC’s Vermont Cancer Center will serve as Medical Director for the new cancer center. Alan Hartford, MD, Acting Chief of Radiation Oncology for DHMC, will provide all operational staff required for the center, including a medical physicist. They will work cooperatively with CVMC’s community-based medical oncologists, Dr. John Valentine and Dr. David Ospina to provide services and develop patient care protocols which assure high quality coordinated care for each patient. Drs. Valentine and Ospina will continue to provide chemotherapy treatments at Mountainview Medical, attached to the Cancer Center.
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