CANCER CARE CENTER HOPES TO EXPAND : NEW 11,000-FOOT RADIATION UNIT PROPOSED AT WESTLAKE HOSPITAL.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

The Westlake Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center has proposed adding a radiation therapy section to broaden services.

The proposal, presented Friday to Westlake Village's land-use committee, would add 11,000 square feet to the 70,000-square-foot hospital and improve the appearance of the building's entrance, said Dr. Leslie Botnick, director of radiation oncology for Salick Health Care, which owns the Westlake cancer center.

Salick officials said the expansion would improve care for cancer patients at the center, 4415 S. Lakeview Canyon Road. They could avoid traveling elsewhere for radiation treatment, Botnick said.

``As part of a cancer center, we need an integrated program,'' Botnick said. ``With the expansion, someone can come in and see everyone they need to see in one day.''

If the expansion goes as planned, the new facility would open in January 1998 and could serve 80 to 90 outpatients at a time, Botnick said.

The addition will be built in the courtyard, according to plans presented to city planning director Bob Theobald. The facade would be remodeled and expanded to the patient drop-off area, Theobald said.

The proposal comes during an ongoing dispute with Columbia Healthcare, which owns Los Robles Hospital/Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and also has a cancer center.

Salick purchased the Westlake facility from Columbia in July after a judge issued a court order requiring the transaction.

Under an agreement Salick made with Westlake Medical Center's former owners, Universal Healthcare in Pennsylvania, Salick had a long-term lease to operate a cancer center in a wing of the hospital.

In March 1995, Salick and Universal renegotiated a contract that gave Salick the option to purchase the hospital from new owners. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge upheld the contract, and Salick agreed to pay $8.15 million for the facility after Columbia bought out Universal.

Columbia representatives said they do not expect Salick's expansion plans to affect their business at Los Robles Hospital/Medical Center.

``Doctors in the area have a comfort level with their referrals,'' said Marcia Clark, director of the Columbia Cancer Center at Los Robles. She said the Los Robles center has been treating cancer patients for 15 years and has a reputation in the community for providing quality care.

``It's like hanging a shingle. It doesn't mean anything. You have to build from there.''

Botnick said Westlake plans to do just that. He said the Westlake center would bring in the latest technology in radiation therapy and new doctors and staff to complement the rest of the personnel.

``Our success will be based on the quality we bring in to the center,'' Botnick said.

Under the old agreement with Universal, Salick was prevented from providing acute care and emergency-room services. A lawsuit that Salick has filed against Columbia questions whether Westlake should still be held to that restriction, said Les Bell, general counsel for Salick.

The lawsuit also calls into question whether the sale agreement was fair, among other things, Bell said. No trial date has been set.

Pending the outcome of the lawsuit, the Westlake hospital treats only patients with cancer, immune-system diseases or organ transplants, and patients needing dialysis.