CDH Proton Center Medical Director Named Fellow Of American Society For Radiation Oncology

WINFIELD, Ill., Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CDH Proton Center Medical Director William F. Hartsell, MD, has been named a Fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), one of 30 distinguished radiation oncologists selected for the honor in 2014. ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, dedicated to improving patient care.

"Dr. Hartsell joins an elite group of ASTRO members who have significantly contributed to the Society, the specialty and cancer patients worldwide through their service to ASTRO and leadership in research, education and patient care," said ASTRO President Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO and professor and chair of the department of radiation oncology at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and associated director of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The medical director of the CDH Proton Center in Warrenville, Ill., and president of Radiation Oncology Consultants, Ltd., Dr. Hartsell has practiced radiation oncology for more than 30 years.  He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.  He did his residency at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's in Chicago.

"I am truly honored to receive this recognition and proud to join such an illustrious group of dedicated radiation oncologists," said William Hartsell, MD, Medical Director of the CDH Proton Center, a member of Cadence Health.

The Fellows Programs honors those who have been a member of ASTRO for at least 15 years, who have contributed the equivalent of 10 years of service to ASTRO and who have made substantial contributions of the field of radiation oncology in the areas of research, education, patient care or service and leadership.  Dr. Hartsell will be honored during ASTRO's 56^th Annual meeting in September.

The CDH Proton Center is one of only 14 such facilities in the US.  Proton therapy is one of the most precise forms of radiation therapy available today. When compared to standard X-ray radiation, proton therapy treats many of the same tumors and is equally effective at destroying cancer cells.  However, unlike X-rays, proton therapy uses protons that can be precisely controlled so that most of the radiation ends up directly in the tumor. This is important when the tumor is located near critical organs or structures such as the brain, heart and spinal cord.

About Cadence Health
Cadence Health was formed in March 2011 as a result of the merger between Central DuPage Health System based in Winfield, Ill., and Delnor Community Health System based in Geneva, Ill. Cadence Health is a locally based, locally governed health system focused on delivering excellent health care to the more than 1.1 million patients in Chicago's western suburbs. For seven of the past eight years (2006-2010, 2012, 2013), Central DuPage Hospital (CDH) has been selected by Truven Health Analytics as one of the "100 Top Hospitals in the U.S." Delnor Hospital recently received accreditation by the American College of Surgeon's National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers for the Delnor Center for Breast Health. CDH and Delnor currently maintain affiliations with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago for pediatric specialty care and Cleveland Clinic for cardiac surgery, adult medical oncology, and cardiology services. Both hospitals have achieved Magnet® recognition for excellence in nursing services from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Cadence Health employs more than 7,400 professionals providing care across an interdependent network of healthcare organizations. Cadence Health also includes Cadence Physician Group, a local network of more than 250 primary care physicians and specialists on the medical staff at CDH or Delnor Hospital. For more information or to find a doctor, please visit www.cadencehealth.org.

ABOUT ASTRO
ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologist, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.

SOURCE Cadence Health