North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 479)
Wellstar radiation oncologist Dr. Mark McLaughlin and Director of Oncology Services Shannon Ross joined host John Ray to discuss the new Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center built on the Wellstar North Fulton campus. This comprehensive care center will serve as one of only two locations in metro Atlanta featuring state-of-the-art CyberKnife® technology for radiation therapy. Dr. McLaughlin and Shannon covered the services it will bring to patients, why CyberKnife® technology improves patient experience and outcomes, their unique approach to collaborative patient care, and much more.
North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
People face cancer with confidence at Wellstar because of their multidisciplinary care model, physicians’ expertise and advanced treatments close to home. In fact, they have more than 300 healthcare providers that provide expert cancer care at nine cancer programs with convenient locations across Georgia.
Their multidisciplinary teams surround patients and their families with knowledgeable and compassionate support. Specialty programs for patients are led by physicians with advanced training. Here, patients see leading specialists who are experts in their fields.
Wellstar invests in state-of-the-art technology and participates in clinical trials to give patients access to a variety of advanced treatments including minimally-invasive surgery, high precision radiation dosages by CyberKnife and TrueBeam delivery systems, intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion (HIPEC) as well as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies based on the latest advances in biomarker testing. Patients who qualify for clinical trials have access to groundbreaking treatments, often years before they are FDA-approved.
Because of Wellstar’s integrated approach to cancer treatment, their programs are nationally recognized by The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancerand the Care Continuum Centers of Excellence (CCCOE), a program of the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, among others.
Radiation Oncology
At Wellstar, radiation oncologists design a personalized plan for each patient. Radiation therapy delivers targeted energy from X-rays or radioactive sources to destroy cancer cells in a localized area.
Cancer is caused by cells with mutations in the DNA that cause them to grow uncontrollably. Wellstar radiation oncologists use advanced radiation techniques and technology to turn cancer’s strength into its greatest weakness. Radiation attacks cancer by altering the DNA within cancer cells and preventing them from reproducing and growing. Radiation therapy is completely painless—what patients experience during the radiation treatment is similar to undergoing imaging X-rays.
Radiation is effective for treating patients with many different types of cancer, including lung, breast and prostate cancer. Wellstar radiation oncologists design the best radiation therapy for each person based on the cancer type, the stage and various factors. The patient may benefit from radiation alone, or combined with other cancer treatments such as surgery, targeted therapy, immunotherapy or chemotherapy.
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Dr. McLaughlin received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Duke University and his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He completed his surgical internship at Shands Teaching Hospital, College of Medicine at University of Florida, where he also completed his residency in radiation oncology. Dr. McLaughlin also holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Central Michigan University.
Dr. McLaughlin is board-certified in radiation oncology. In his spare time, he enjoys sports, travel, gardening, boating, martial arts, and reading.
Shannon Ross, Director of Oncology Services, Wellstar Health System
Shannon Ross is Director of Oncology Services for Wellstar.
Shannon began his career as a radiation therapist and found a passion for creating an effective and caring patient experience and transitioned to the operational side of oncology care.
Shannon joined Wellstar in November 2021.
Questions and Topics in this Interview:
- Tell us about the new Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center
- More about Dr. McLaughlin
- Expansion of cancer care at Wellstar
- Cyberknife technology
- STAT Clinics approach
North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.
