About the Proton Treatment Center
The James M. Slater Proton Therapy and Research Center became a pioneer in the field of proton therapy the moment its doors first opened in 1990. As the first and only hospital-based treatment center of its kind, the Proton Treatment Center blazed the trail for proton treatment and research, and it until 2003 it remained the only center of its kind in the United States.
The Proton Treatment Center is the result of the visionary leadership of its namesake, James M. Slater, M.D, FACR. For more than 20 years, Dr. Slater – a former chairman of the Department of Radiation Medicine poured his leadership and passion into the careful planning of the Center. His commitment was recognized and supported by the LLUMC administration and notable leadership including:
• David B. Hinshaw, Sr., MD, FACS, former president of Loma Linda University Medical Center
• The Boards of Trustees of the University and Medical Center, especially the Boards’ president, Pastor Neal Wilson, former president of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Several government leaders, especially Representative Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands, California)
Proton Treatment Center Milestones
1990
• Center opens; first patient treated
1991
• Treatment for brain cancer and patients with cancers of the head and neck begins
• First proton treatment for prostate cancer provided
1993
• 500th patient treated
1994
• NASA and Loma Linda University Medical Center sign agreement to research ways to protect astronauts from space radiation
1996
• 2,000th patient treated
1997
• 3,000th patient treated
• Radiobiological research for medical and space-travel applications begins in new laboratory facilities
1998
• Department of Radiation Medicine reports treating 100 patients with protons and 100 patients with photon beams in a single day
2000
• 5,000th patient treated
2002
• Number of patients treated daily with protons reaches 150
• 7,500th patient treated
2005
• 10,000th patient treated
2007
• 11,000th patient treated
2008
• Robotic assisted positioning unit is installed to allow add precision to proton beam positioning. This system is the only one of its kind in any other proton treatment center.
2010
• 20th Anniversary of the James M. Slater Proton Treatment and Research Center
• Treatment for patients with specific types of breast cancer begins
2011
• 15,000th patient is treated
About Loma Linda University Medical Center
LLUMC is a teaching hospital and unique to the Inland Empire. It is among the largest private medical educational centers in the United States. Most of the Medical Center's 550-physician staff also teaches at the School of Medicine. This strong bond between treating and teaching makes LLUMC physicians among the most highly-trained and cutting edge physicians in the region.
The Medical Center is also the only Level 1 Regional Trauma center for four inland Southern California counties. With nearly 900 beds available, it serves more than 33,000 inpatients and 650,000 outpatients annually.
LLUMC is also the international leader in proton radiation therapy for cancer and infant heart transplantation. It has some of the leading clinical programs in the United States including outpatient surgery and neonatal care. It is licensed for 72 neonatal intensive care beds for premature or sick babies and is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world.