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By Ben Sutherly, Staff Writer Updated 8:13 AM Friday, May 14, 2010

KETTERING — Kettering Medical Center announced that it and a California partner will invest up to $80 million in a proton therapy center, setting up a potential new battleground on the frontiers of medicine with competing hospital network Premier Health Partners.

It will build the nonprofit proton therapy center, which it hopes to open within three years, at either its Southern Boulevard campus or on 48 acres at the Austin Pike-Interstate 75 interchange, KMC said in an announcement Thursday, May 13.

It’s working with San Francisco-based American Shared Hospital Services on the project. The two parties have a “purchased service agreement” through which ASHS would cover the cost of the bulk of the equipment, while KMC would pay for the support structure, personnel and building. KMC declined to provide its share of the cost.

Hospital officials say the project would create up to 100 new KMC jobs.

Meanwhile, Premier Health Partners announced this week that it and Dayton Physicians Inc. are discussing a potential collaboration with California-based Optivus Proton Therapy Inc., which is planning a $170 million for-profit proton beam radiation treatment center at the Austin Pike interchange.

That proton therapy center would handle more than 200 patients per day, while the Kettering-ASHS proton therapy center would handle up to 80 patients daily.

Leonard Arzt, executive director of the National Association for Proton Therapy in Washington, D.C., said he knows of only one other case in which two entities have worked to locate competing proton therapy centers in the same community. That’s in northwest Chicago, where one project stalled due to financing troubles.

“I’d be surprised if there’s enough financing to support two centers” in Dayton or anywhere else, Arzt said.

Jon Slater, Optivus’ CEO said Wednesday he hopes to have full financing in place for his project within a “handful of months.” KMC claims to have financing, medical imaging and supporting physician expertise in place.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7457 or bsutherly@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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