The Avera Sacred Heart Cancer Center provides Care, Hope and Healing for people with cancer.
We offer cancer care that includes prevention, diagnosis and treatment in addition to a strong support system; all in a warm, caring environment.
Our goal is to make your experience as pleasant as possible and provide a wide range of services in one convenient location. When cancer strikes close to home, close to home is where you want to be - in the comfort of family and friends and in familiar surroundings.
The Avera Sacred Heart Cancer Center team works together with a wide array of other healthcare professionals from the Yankton region to bring you the best cancer care possible,right here at home. The Avera Sacred Heart Cancer Center is located at 1115 West Ninth Street, Yankton, SD, just two blocks north of the hospital.
The Yankton cancer program is accredited by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer. Only one in four hospitals that treat cancer receives this special approval.
We are proud of our Avera Sacred Heart Cancer Center Team.
- Physician, Board-certified Radiation Oncologist
- Oncology-Certified Nurse and Staff
- Radiation Therapists
- Registered Dietitian
- Social worker
- Pastoral Care
- Family & friends
Cancer Detection, Prevention & Education Programs
- Community screening programs including prostate cancer screening
- Participation at community health education programs and health fairs including the fall Breast Cancer Forum.
- Cancer prevention research trials
Diagnosis
- Spiral CT
- Fixed-base MRI
- Interventional radiologist
- Accredited mammography programs and state of the art mammography equipment including the Alpha IQ mammography unit.
Treatment
- Surgery including a breast surgeon and sentinel node biopsy procedure
- Urologists and brachytherapy for prostate cancer
- Radiation therapy utilizing a new, state-of-the-art Siemen's Oncor Linear Accelerator with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) capability.
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Computerized, 3-D imaging for precise radiation dosage for tumors
Support Services
- Home Health and Hospice
- Pastoral Care
- Cancer Center library and support information with more than 100 publications including videos available for checkout.
Cancer Support Services
The Avera Sacred Heart Cancer Center brings together many individuals with extensive experience in cancer care. The support team makes available the skills of experts in several areas from Avera Sacred Heart Hospital. Each team member can offer support in a unique way.
Certified Oncology Nurse. The nurse assists and instructs patients, families, and caregivers about daily activities, long term nursing needs, comfort, and pain control.
Social Services. Our social worker is available to help you and your family members deal with the impact of cancer. The social worker can assist you with such practical problems as finding financing resources when income is reduced because of the illness; arranging for child care; obtaining needed equipment, such as wheelchairs, canes, and prostheses; making referrals to agencies that can meet specific and immediate essentials of life; and arranging for home care services and transportation.
Nutrition Services. Proper nutrition is vital to your care. It can help you maintain strength to better withstand any treatment side effects, prevent or reverse weight loss, help fight infections, and generally help you feel better and recover more rapidly. Our dietitian will help you select foods that are appealing and tolerable, but still maintain a correct level of protein and calories.
Pastoral Care. The pastoral care chaplain is aware of the sense of helplessness, grief, and loss that accompany cancer. The chaplain is available for support and to help you express your pain, to counsel you, and to notify your own pastor, if you so desire.
Home Care Services. The professionals in home care services will work with your personal physician and the radiation oncologist to determine a home care plan that best fits the needs of the patient, if home care is recommended.
Hospice. Avera Sacred Heart Hospice provides supportive care for a patient experiencing a terminal illness, and for their families. The hospice team consists of professionals and volunteers who offer physical, emotional and spiritual support to the patient and family members.
Pain Management. Not all cancer patients experience pain, but for those who do, doctors, nurses and therapists experienced in pain control are available. This team of professionals can answer your questions about pain. They will work with you to identify your individual concerns and develop a treatment plan for relief from pain.
Medical Staff
Michael E. Peterson, M.D., is a Radiation Oncologist at Avera Sacred Heart Cancer Center. Board certified in Radiation Oncology and Internal Medicine, he formerly was Radiation Oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Frankford Hospital, both in Philadelphia.
- Bachelor of Arts Degree: Dartmouth College
- Medical Degree: Cornell University Medical College
- Residency in Internal Medicine: Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
- Residency in Radiation Oncology: University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
- American Cancer Society Fellow in Radiation Oncology
- Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology at Jefferson Medical College and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.