Dr. Temple Hooper was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the Island health care system at a special ceremony today at the new PEI Cancer Treatment Centre. Dr. Hooper was Prince Edward Island's first radiation oncologist. He retired last year after devoting 45 years to cancer treatment in the province.
Premier Pat Binns and Health and Social Services Minister Mildred Dover unveiled a plaque naming a treatment planning room at the new PEI Cancer Treatment Centre in his honour, and announced a new Dr. Temple Hooper Scholarship.
Premier Binns thanked Dr. Hooper on behalf of all Islanders for his leadership in establishing radiation oncology services in PEI, and for serving as a vital link to the advancement of new and enhanced cancer treatment services now available in the province. "After a very long and distinguished career, Dr. Hooper put his retirement plans on hold several times while the new Centre was being developed so that Islanders could continue to receive cancer treatment in the province," said the Premier. "Dr. Temple Hooper has touched the lives of many Islanders and families in a way that only a few have done."
Health and Social Services Minister Mildred Dover advised that the new Dr. Temple Hooper Scholarship will be awarded annually to a PEI student in the new UPEI Bachelor of Radiography program, or a PEI student pursuing study in radiation therapy. "Dr. Hooper was very devoted to his patients and his profession. The scholarship will be a legacy to the commitment Dr. Hooper and his family have made to cancer treatment and its diagnosis," said the minister.
Minister Dover advised that after eight months of operation, the new PEI Cancer Treatment Centre is meeting a very important need. "The number of patients being treated at the Centre is far exceeding our expectations. With added staff and new equipment, we are doing more kinds of treatment than ever before. At the same time, more and more people are choosing to have treatment because it is closer to home," she said.
The new Centre was officially opened in July 1999. Constructed and equipped at a cost of $3.2 million, it includes more than 30 rooms for planning and treatment. The Centre now houses both radiation oncology and chemotherapy services. New radiation oncology staff include a radiation oncologist, medical physicist, three radiation therapists, specialized oncology nurses and support staff.