Page 26 - Mountain Medicine Directory - Winter 2017

GRAND VALLEY ONCOLOGY

+ THE HUNTSMAN CANCER INSTITUTE

IN GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO

T WO YEARS AGO, A LONG TIME GOAL WAS FINALLY REALIZED

when Community Hospital opened its new cancer center. Grand Valley
Oncology opened in December 2014. Doctors JoAnne Virgilio and Diane
Melancon (Medical Oncologists), Dr. Ruth Higdon (Gynecologic Oncology
Surgeon), Michael Appel (Oncology Pharm.D.) and twenty of the Grand Valley’s
finest oncology nurses joined Community Hospital to develop a new cancer program
at Community Hospital. Exactly one year later, Community Hospital announced their
formal affiliation with the world-renowned Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Prior to joining Community Hospital, Dr. Virgilio had worked with cancer
patients in the Grand Valley for over 24 years. “The cancer program at Community
Hospital allows patients the opportunity to choose where they would like to receive
their cancer treatment locally,” said Dr. Virgilio. Community Hospital President and
CEO, Chris Thomas has underscored the importance of patients having a choice
for years and takes great pride in continuing to grow service lines at Community
Hospital in order to do just that.
In just two short years, Community
Hospital’s oncology program has become World
a highly sought after, full-service cancer
center, attracting patients from all over the renowned
region. Thomas believes Community Hospital’s
partnership with Huntsman Cancer Institute is
paramount. “Ensuring cancer patients have expertise
access to high quality care right here at home
is extremely important as they navigate their along with
treatment options,” said Thomas.
Community Hospital’s affiliation with
Huntsman Cancer Institute brings together regional
Huntsman’s world-renowned expertise along with
Grand Valley Oncology’s regional leadership, leadership
beginning a partnership that has opened up a
broader range of options for cancer patients
locally. Grand Valley Oncology understands
that access to care, comfort and compassion is important in treating cancer. In
recognizing this, they offer a patient-centered approach that treats the whole
patient, not just the disease. Grand Valley Oncology puts patients first.
Community Hospital’s medical oncology team consists of medical
oncologists, JoAnne Virgilio, DO, Diane Melancon, MD, Jonathan King, MD, Sudy
Jahangiri, MD, nurse practitioners, oncology nurses and other oncology-trained
staff. The multidisciplinary team works with each patient to develop a personalized
treatment plan tailored to their unique needs and diagnosis. Community Hospital’s
medical oncology team is board certified and has years of experience in treating
breast cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies, neuro oncology and
melanoma/sarcoma.
In addition to offering medical oncology treatment, Community Hospital
offers radiation oncology treatment at Canyon View Medical Plaza, located at 2373
G Road, adjacent to the new hospital. A patient’s individualized cancer treatment
plan may include radiation therapy. In this treatment, high-energy x-rays, electrons,
or other sources of radiation are used to destroy cancer cells.
Treatment with radiation is provided by a team of radiation oncologists,
radiation therapists, dosimetrists and physicists. Community Hospital’s highly trained
and experienced radiation therapy team works closely with medical oncologists,
surgeons and specialists from other disciplines to provide the best, comprehensive
cancer care possible. Community Hospital’s most advanced radiation equipment
allows radiation oncologists Gayle Miller, MD and J. Ryan Bagley, MD, and medical

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