WellSpan team members, leaders and community partners recently gathered to celebrate 10 years of compassionate, high-quality cancer care at the WellSpan Sechler Family Cancer Center in Lebanon County.

Since opening in 2016 as the county’s first integrated cancer center, the Sechler Family Cancer Center has been grounded in a simple but powerful belief: every family deserves access to world class cancer care close to home. By intentionally bringing medical oncology, radiation, infusion, nutrition, navigation, social work, spiritual care and support services under one roof, the center was designed to ease the burden of cancer care and surround patients with support at every step.

During the celebration, speakers reflected on the thousands of lives touched over the past decade and the people who made that impact possible — dedicated clinicians and staff, generous supporters and community partners, like Bell & Evans and the Sechler family.

“The Sechler Family Cancer Center is more than a building or a program — it’s a promise to this community,” said Dr. Nikhilesh Korgaonkar, vice president, WellSpan Health, and chief medical officer, WellSpan Cancer Institute. “It’s a promise that you don’t have to leave home to receive exceptional cancer care. It’s a promise that you can be surrounded by your family, your support system and your community during one of the most difficult times in your life.”

“What makes this place so special is not just what we do, but how we do it,” he continued. “Care here is delivered as a team — medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgery, pharmacy, nutrition, navigation and social work, among others. We’re not separate services working in parallel; we’re one team, working together, communicating, supporting one another, and most importantly, supporting every patient who walks through our doors.” 

Korgaonkar also recognized WellSpan’s partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine, which expands access to subspecialty expertise, collaborative tumor boards, clinical trials and telehealth second opinions — bringing advanced cancer care to Lebanon County without patients having to travel far.

Jim Stuccio, senior vice president of WellSpan’s East Region, emphasized cancer care as a cornerstone of WellSpan’s mission and recognized Scott Sechler and his family for their extraordinary generosity and leadership. Inspired by personal experience, Sechler’s support — including funds raised through the Bell & Evans golf tournament — helped make the Sechler Family Cancer Center a reality and inspired others to give.

The event concluded with reflections from Sechler, who expressed pride in the care available in Lebanon County and gratitude for the clinicians and staff whose compassion makes a difference every day.

"We're blessed with success at Bell & Evans and fortunate to be able to give back to our community in impactful ways," he shared. "We stay committed to supporting the Sechler Family Cancer Center. The staff here do a wonderful job of providing superior care to their patients who include our team members, growers, neighbors and friends."