Cancer services giving impact

ProHealth Care is committed to remaining a strong, independent, community-based health care system, providing excellent care and service to our patients. Every donation makes our community healthier and stronger — thanks for the part you play.

RESEARCH ON A LOCAL AND NATIONAL STAGE

Generous contributions allow the ProHealth Care Foundation to fund research opportunities. Members of our community in turn have access to potentially life-saving national clinical trials, close to home. ProHealth Care currently has more than 55 active oncology research trials, many devoted specifically to developing new treatment options for patients with cancer.

One clinical trial offered at ProHealth Care, called CABINET, studied a new treatment for people with advanced neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas or other parts of the body. The Phase 3 trial found that the treatment helped slow the cancer’s growth in patients whose disease had progressed after previous therapy. The trial’s success resulted in a speedy adoption on a national level. According to medical oncologist Ali Raza, MD, our cancer center was the only program in Southeast Wisconsin to offer that clinical trial–an example of how we curate the most promising trials, technologies and treatments and bring them to our community.

PREVENTION — AUTOMATED BREAST ULTRASOUND TECHNOLOGY

ProHealth Care’s Breast Imaging Services team offers automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) screening to eligible patients. In clinical studies, this supplemental screening for women with dense breast tissue has effectively detected cancers missed by mammography alone. ProHealth is one of the first health systems in the state to offer this advanced technology, thanks to generous donations to the ProHealth Care Foundation.

The breast imaging team recently partnered with GE HealthCare Services to generate awareness of Gail’s Law, recently passed legislation that requires insurance companies to cover supplemental breast cancer screening for women with dense breast tissue. The new law could potentially impact 14,000 women in the ProHealth network alone. (Gail’s Law takes effect in January of 2027.)

ProHealth radiologist Jennifer Bergin, MD, a member of the Wisconsin Radiological Society’s committee for breast imaging, has been a strong advocate for enhanced screening access. 

SURVIVORSHIP

Our comprehensive cancer survivorship program empowers patients to improve their health and well-being using tools from our cancer experts, including nurses, dietitians, counselors and physical therapists. Foundation dollars also fund events, like Sean Swarner’s story of inspiration. Sean is the world's first cancer survivor to scale the highest point on all seven continents and hike to the North and South Poles. Such stories of resilience focus on life beyond diagnosis.

COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES + SUPPORT

Thanks to generous donors and grant funding, patients receive help with managing the side effects of cancer treatment. The therapies are used in lockstep with medical treatments to help patients feel better physically and emotionally. Patients are encouraged to participate in patient support groups which include individual counseling sessions, survivorship events, family night, off-site classes, along with health and fitness sessions like Tai Chi and Beat Cancer Boot Camp.

Support also encompasses the everyday concerns of our cancer patients, such as the financial management of medical bills, insurance coverage, and transportation to and from appointments.

EDUCATION

With an eye on the future of health care, the Foundation funds scholarships and specialized training programs for staff as well as for students pursuing health care professions. As medical best practices change and we experience advances in medical equipment, continuing education is critical. Donor funds allow us to train and retain skilled practitioners.