Delray Beach, Florida – April 13, 2016 – Delray Medical Center
www.delraymedicalctr.com has reached agreement with Proton International (PI) www.protonintl.com to build a one-room proton therapy treatment center serving the South Florida corridor. Proton therapy, a form of radiation therapy, is a highly precise and effective treatment for many solid cancer tumors but without many of the side effects that often accompany treatment.

Delray will be among a select group of hospitals in the country to offer proton therapy using the most advanced technology available, a fully featured compact system with dynamic peak pencil beam scanning, developed by Varian Medical Systems.

“We are looking forward to offering this innovative treatment option at Delray Medical Center,” said Mark Bryan, CEO. “It is always our goal to incorporate new technologies and techniques that will make treatment safer and less invasive for our patients.”

“We are very pleased to team with Delray to assure broader access to this important cancer therapy. It will allow more people to be treated in their local community, close to family and friends,” said Chris Chandler, CEO of Proton International, which currently has proton centers under construction at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich., and the University Medical Center in Groningen, The Netherlands. “We selected Varian to be the proton system provider because Varian’s ProBeam system has unique capabilities making it the most complete single room proton system on the market.”

Proton therapy is particularly effective in treating solid cancer tumors, including tumors of the brain, spine, head and neck, lung, prostate, colon, and some breast tumors. It is widely used to treat children with cancer because of its precision and lack of long-term side effects, as children are particularly sensitive to the effects of radiation therapy. Proton treatment facilities enroll their patients in a national registry to collect data used to improve the therapy and many research studies are underway to explore new areas of treatment.

Pencil Beam Scanning gives physicians advanced options for delivering proton therapy precisely in order to minimize exposure to healthy tissue while delivering treatments. The scanning beam technology enables “intensity-modulated proton therapy” (IMPT) by adjusting dose levels on a spot-by-spot basis throughout the treatment area, controlling the distribution of the protons. The technology also shortens therapy treatment time.

PI’s turnkey development significantly lowers project risk and provides access to long-term funding, making it easier and more affordable for hospitals, oncologists and other medical professionals to offer proton cancer therapy to patients in one- or two-room centers.

About Delray Medical Center

For more than 30 years, Delray Medical Center, a 493-bed acute care hospital, has served the communities of South Palm Beach County. As both a community hospital and state-designated Level I Trauma Center located on a 42-acre medical plaza, Delray Medical Center has the ability to offer several specialized services includ- ing cardiac care, orthopedics, rehabilitation, neurosciences, emergency care and more.

For the past eight years, Delray Medical Center has been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades®, a leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The hospital is a recipient of the Healthgrades®Distinguished Hospital Award – Clinical Excellence for 12 years in a row and is one of just 13 hospitals in South Florida, and just one of five in Palm Beach County that received recognition for its clinical performance. Delray Medical Center is one of only 269 hospitals ranked in the top 5 percent in the nation for patient outcomes according to a study by Healthgrades®. The hospital has been acknowledged as a Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery, hip and knee replacement and cardiac care by Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Delray Medical Center is a state-designated Comprehensive Stroke Center and Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. In addition, the hospital earned the Get With the Guidelines – Heart Failure and Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Awards from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Delray Medical Center was also named one of the nation’s top 100 hospitals with great heart programs by Becker’s Hospital Review. Pinecrest Rehabilitation and Outpatient Hospital at Delray Medical Center is designated by the State of Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Center for Adults and has received 3-year
accreditation status as a Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program from CARF International.

Furthermore, Delray Medical Center was named one of the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission for the third year in a row and earned an “A” Hospital Safety Score from the Leap- frog Group. Delray Medical Center is actively involved in community outreach, sponsoring several events, community lectures and fundraisers. The hospital is also a smoke-free campus. For more information or for a free physician referral, please call 1-800-897-9789 or visit the website at delraymedicalctr.com .

About Proton International

Proton International (PI) www.protonintl.com has an experienced team dedicated to bringing proton therapy to patients. The company works with hospitals and physician groups to develop one- and two-room proton therapy facilities on a turnkey basis. The PI team has developed and operated large centers and is now turning its attention to developing more affordable alternatives. PI has two centers under construction and assures that projects are completed on time, on budget, and within the scope and needs of the Institution. Services include business planning, organizational structure, financing, building design and construction, installation and commissioning, equipment, staff training and more.