Expanding hope through innovation: AdventHealth advances cancer care across East Florida

Cancer touches nearly every family, and in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties, the demand for timely, advanced care keeps rising.

AdventHealth’s East Florida Division, which includes seven hospitals and a network of outpatient sites across those three counties, has been building capacity so patients can move from diagnosis to treatment faster, with options that were once available only in major academic centers.

The effort reflects a simple community promise: make high-quality care easier to reach, and make the experience clearer, kinder and more coordinated for patients and families.

As communities across East Florida continue to grow, AdventHealth is expanding to meet increasing health care needs both today and in the years ahead. Each year, the health system supports nearly 1.3 million patient visits across its hospitals and outpatient facilities, with more than 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers delivering care close to where people live and work.

“Our region’s population growth is driving the need for more accessible, specialized care,” said Shyroll Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for the AdventHealth East Florida Division. “As our community grows, we’re here to meet families where they are — with expert specialists, advanced technology, and compassionate care that’s close to home.”

The East Florida Division saw a 46% increase in radiation therapy courses from 2020 to 2024. To meet this growing need, the division has opened or upgraded facilities and deployed next-generation platforms across its seven hospitals and outpatient locations, ensuring patients have access to advanced care close to home.

Today, the East Florida Division’s network includes five radiation oncology centers, two outpatient infusion centers, two nationally accredited breast centers, two robotic bronchoscopy (ION) programs, and 10 imaging centers. These sites care for about 5,000 analytical cancer patients each year, expanding access to whole-person care across the region.

This growth underscores AdventHealth’s expanding role in the community — addressing the rising demand for cancer care while strengthening the local economy, creating jobs, and increasing access to world-class health services close to home.

To sustain this growth, AdventHealth has focused on recruiting fellowship-trained subspecialty physicians and advanced providers, expanding the local expertise for complex cancer cases across the East Florida Division. This includes fellowship-trained specialists in pituitary, pancreatic (Whipple), colorectal, lung, and complex head and neck cancers, as well as interventional and procedural pulmonology and complex gastrointestinal surgery.

“Physicians choose this region because they can practice at the top of their field and collaborate across sites,” Morris said. “That mix — technology, teamwork and timely access — changes outcomes and the care experience.”

Investment in Technology and Patient-Centered Care

Across the East Florida Division, physicians are leveraging technology that once existed only in major research centers. Today, those tools are woven into everyday care at community hospitals.

Advanced systems like Ethos adaptive radiation therapy, TrueBeam, and Vision RT allow clinicians to shape treatments with greater precision, protecting healthy tissue while targeting cancer cells more effectively.

These innovations aren’t just about machines; they’re about time and quality of life. Adaptive radiation, for example, allows oncologists to adjust treatment plans daily based on small changes in a patient’s anatomy, minimizing side effects and keeping care on course.

“Adaptive radiation lets us fine-tune in real time,” said Dr. Shiv Desai, radiation oncologist at AdventHealth Daytona Beach. “Small, daily adjustments help keep the dose locked on target while sparing healthy tissue.”

Technology upgrades are paired with integrative, whole-person support that goes beyond clinical treatment - connecting patients to oncology nurse navigation, genetic counseling, nutrition, spiritual care, survivorship, and other supportive therapies such as acupuncture and massage.

These comprehensive resources reflect a truly coordinated approach to healing and address growing community needs, including increased access to specialists, cancer screenings, and patient education.

Early Detection: Changing the Odds in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer remains the nation’s deadliest cancer, claiming more lives each year than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.

Within the East Florida Division, incidence and mortality rates remain higher than the state average, a gap leaders are determined to close through the division’s comprehensive Lung Cancer Program.

By combining low-dose CT scans with smart AI technology, physicians at AdventHealth can spot signs of lung cancer much earlier, often before symptoms even appear. This faster, more accurate approach has helped reduce the average time from diagnosis to treatment from a national average of about 90 days to just 30 days in AdventHealth’s East Florida Division, giving patients a critical head start in their fight against cancer.

For patients and families, those 60 saved days can mean the difference between a curable cancer and one that isn’t.

These efforts have created a critical shift that physicians say represents a turning point in survival rates: for the first time ever, more patients are being diagnosed with lung cancer at earlier stages.

In 2024 alone, early-stage lung cancer diagnoses (48%) surpassed late-stage diagnoses (46%), reversing historical trends in the AdventHealth East Florida Division. This change is directly tied to the expansion of low-dose CT screenings and the implementation of AI-guided lung nodule tracking, which are helping clinicians detect cancer before symptoms arise and when it’s most treatable.

“Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.,” Morris said. “When it’s found early, people have more options and more hope. That’s why this screening program is so important. It’s already helping our neighbors and their families stay healthier and feel more supported on their care journey.”

“If you wait for symptoms, you’re already behind,” said Dr. Wallace Thomas, interventional pulmonologist. “Screening gives us a fighting chance to find it before it’s too late.”

Together, the two-pronged approach — proactive screening and AI-guided detection and personalized follow-up — ensures patients aren’t lost in the system. Nurse navigators guide each step, from the first scan to the first appointment, making what used to be a fragmented process more personal and coordinated.

Volusia County: A Hub for Innovation and Whole-Person Healing

From East Volusia’s AdventHealth Daytona Beach and AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach to West Volusia’s growing programs, Volusia County continues to serve as a hub for innovation and whole-person cancer care.

AdventHealth Daytona Beach leads the way with state-of-the-art treatment technologies, including Ion Navigational Bronchoscopy, a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted procedure that helps physicians biopsy and diagnose small nodules deep within the lungs. The hospital also offers Ethos adaptive radiation, TrueBeam and Brainlab systems, which tailor care with real-time precision.

Interventional pulmonologists use advanced, minimally invasive procedures to help patients with serious lung and airway problems. Instead of traditional surgery, they rely on specialized scopes and instruments to look inside the lungs, take biopsies to diagnose cancer, place stents to open blocked airways, drain fluid around the lungs, and even shrink or remove tumors that make breathing difficult. These techniques allow doctors to diagnose and treat conditions like lung cancer, COPD, asthma, and collapsed lungs more safely and with quicker recovery times, giving patients better breathing and quality of life.

Earlier this year, Corrine Graczewski, a 72-year-old cancer survivor from Daytona Beach, became the first patient in Volusia and Flagler counties to receive treatment using the Ethos system, a moment celebrated during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway.

“Ethos represents a major step forward in cancer care,” said Desai. “It allows us to offer world-class precision therapy right in our community, and stories like Corrine’s remind us what that progress means for real people.”

The hospital also opened the SherryStrong Integrative Wellness Center, offering therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, oncology massage and nutrition counseling — all free to patients and families — through a partnership with the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. The center reflects AdventHealth’s commitment to caring for the whole person by supporting mind, body and spirit, and by providing resources like wigs and other services that help patients feel supported throughout every stage of their journey.

A year ago, AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach fully transitioned all oncology services to AdventHealth clinicians, marking a major milestone for cancer care in Southeast Volusia County. The center now provides comprehensive cancer treatment on-site, connected to the nationally recognized AdventHealth Cancer Institute network. Facility enhancements include a second infusion room and the addition of Vision RT technology, which uses 3D surface tracking to improve accuracy during radiation therapy.

In West Volusia, the AdventHealth DeLand Cancer Center continued its strong performance in 2024, supporting earlier lung cancer detection across the region. Its integration into the regional lung-nodule program has helped more patients receive a diagnosis sooner, leading to better outcomes and greater peace of mind. Building on this momentum, AdventHealth Fish Memorial will expand its cancer program with a new TrueBeam Linear Accelerator. This state-of-the-art technology will allow the team to deliver more precise treatment options — including 3D conformal therapy, IMRT and SBRT — bringing advanced care closer to home for patients and their families.

Flagler County: A New Era of Cancer Care in Palm Coast

In Flagler County, the Freytag Cancer Center at AdventHealth Palm Coast stands as a symbol of progress and community investment. Opened in early 2025, the $30-million, two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility brings radiation and medical oncology together in one space, designed for comfort, privacy and seamless coordination of care.

The center features next-generation technology, including the TrueBeam radiation system and tools for precision medicine, immunotherapy and genetic-based treatments. It also houses the relocated Judith C. Macko Resource Center, providing free education, wigs, and support services for patients and families.

“Freytag Cancer Center is more than just a building; it’s an investment in our community and a commitment to compassionate, world-class care,” said Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of AdventHealth Palm Coast and the Flagler and St. Johns market.

Lake County: Expanding Precision, Comfort and Confidence

AdventHealth Waterman became the first hospital in Lake County to offer the Ion technology as part of a $1 million investment in the community’s cancer care. This advanced technology enables earlier, more precise detection of lung cancer, helping patients receive answers and

begin treatment quickly, often returning home the same day.

Additionally, the hospital recently opened the Strands of Hope Wig Boutique to provide free wigs and fittings to women experiencing medical-related hair loss. The program, celebrated by patients and volunteers alike, helps restore a sense of confidence and dignity for those navigating treatment.

In 2026, AdventHealth Waterman will further expand its capabilities with the installation of a new state-of-the-art TrueBeam Linear Accelerator, enhancing access to advanced radiation therapy and making it easier for patients to receive the care they need in their own community.

A Future Built on Hope and Innovation

Cancer care is evolving across Flagler, Lake, and Volusia counties, driven by innovation, collaboration and a shared commitment to keeping care within reach. Each new technology, program and partnership reflects a belief that world-class treatment should be accessible to every community.

Across the East Florida Division, progress continues: additional oncology specialists are being recruited, new technologies are being added, and the division’s AI-driven detection programs are expanding to identify disease earlier and improve outcomes.

“Every improvement we make, from technology to the care experience, comes back to one goal,” said Morris. “We’re building a system where people don’t have to leave their community to receive the very best care. That’s what it means to extend the healing ministry of Christ.”

As the region grows, so does its capacity to deliver advanced, compassionate cancer care — a reflection of a future built on hope, innovation and the strength of community.