Shawn Nowlin
shawn.nowlin@ourvalley.org
Local dignitaries join with doctors, administrators and staff personnel at LewisGale Medical Center at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the
new Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute.
LewisGale Regional Health System recently announced a partnership with the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare, Sarah Cannon, to expand comprehensive cancer services throughout the Roanoke Valley.
All 44 of the Lewis Gale Regional Health System facilities, as part of the partnership, will join a collaborative group of Sarah Cannon’s cancer programs. Any patient treated for cancer at the LewisGale hospital facilities will continue to have access to advanced care.
“With our dedicated, skilled team of physician and clinician experts, LewisGale Regional Health System has long enjoyed a reputation of being a regional leader in cancer care,” said Lance Jones, market president of the health system. “The communities we serve know us as a health system where patients have access to the latest treatments and technology that are delivered with a level of compassionate, quality care that is second to none.”
Sarah Cannon offers integrated cancer services with convenient access to cutting-edge therapies for those facing cancer in communities throughout the nation. Included in Sarah Cannon’s cancer programs are individualized patient navigation provided by oncology-trained nurses, 1,200 stem cell transplants performed annually throughout the Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Network, hundreds of clinical trials and molecular profiling capabilities.
“This announcement marks a major milestone in LewisGale’s commitment to caring for, and improving, the overall health of individuals who live in Southwest Virginia,” said Brian Gross, MD, who serves on the Cancer Governance Team. “More than ever, patients are seeking world-class cancer experts and promising new therapies. By partnering with Sarah Cannon, we are combining our exceptional local physician expertise and care with internationally-recognized teams across the Sarah Cannon network to improve patient care.”
Thanks to recent technology, LewisGale now has even greater access to global cancer research and care network to treat lung, breast, colon, gastrointestinal, brain, metastatic and other cancers. “Through its services, Sarah Cannon is providing world-class cancer care close to home for hundreds of thousands of patients, a number unmatched by any single cancer center. More information can be found by visiting sarahcannon.com,” Chris Finley, LewisGale Director of Marketing and Public Relations, said.
LewisGale Regional Health System includes 44 HCA Virginia Health System-owned patient care facilities including four hospitals, one freestanding ER, two regional cancer centers and affiliations with both employed and independent physicians. According to Finley, the private hospital system is one of Virginia’s largest employers, provides $105.7 million in charity and uncompensated care and pays $88.9 million in taxes annually.