Residents in Schuylkill County in need of chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy infusions and other cancer treatment services will be able to receive them in Pottsville thanks to a partnership between Geisinger Health System and Schuylkill Health.
The 5,500-square-foot hematology/oncology unit, called Geisinger Medical Oncology-Pottsville and located on the third floor of Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street, will open Monday. A tour was provided to the news media Thursday, led by Geisinger Vice President Thomas Graves, Cancer Service Line, and Schuylkill Health President/CEO John E. Simodejka.
"It's outpatient only, so when a person is going to see the oncologist, it will be like going to their doctor's office," Simodejka said as the tour began. "It's all set up with exam rooms and waiting rooms on this side of the unit."
According to information provided by Geisinger public relations coordinator Amanda O'Rourke, the facility will provide chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy infusions, clinical research trials and access to a multidisciplinary cancer team that will review the patient's diagnosis to offer the best plan of treatment.
The oncology facility is operated by Geisinger Cancer Institute staff and leased from Schuylkill Health. The renovations cost about $1.8 million. It complements Geisinger's new $1.5 million radiation oncology practice at 100 One Norwegian Plaza, Pottsville, which opened May 28.
There will be two doctors on staff: Jose Castillo, M.D., and Harsh Gandhi, M.D., along with two registered nurses and one licensed practical nurse per shift. Castillo is board certified in hematology and medical oncology and Gandhi is board certified in medical oncology.
The unit will also have two full-time patient access representatives, a pharmacist and pharmacy technician.
Graves explained the examination rooms and then went to the pharmacy.
"This is where the chemotherapeutic drugs are prepared," Graves said. "The pharmacists would use this area with a HEPA-filter hood to protect themselves from fumes from the drugs, which can be quite toxic. The drugs then go through these pass-through doors."
There is a compartment built into the wall with doors on both sides. After the drugs are prepared, they are placed by the pharmacist inside the compartment and the door is closed on the pharmacy side, then opened on the other side by medical personnel to be taken to the patient infusion area, which was the next stop on the tour.
The infusion area has eight comfortable chairs where patients will receive their medication intravenously. Depending on the drugs, the infusion procedure could last from one to eight hours. During the treatment, patients can read, watch television or enjoy the outdoor view through the large windows, which also brighten the room. In addition to the IV infusions, the treatment room also has the capabilities for injections, hydrations and bone marrow biopsies.
"The infusions can be from one day to three days per week, depending on the regimens, which can vary quite a lot," Graves said.
Graves said the clinic is not limited to cancer patients.
"We will also see non-cancerous patients, too," Graves said. "Patients who have hematologic problems, such as benign blood disease, and need blood product infusions periodically. It is not just solid tumor chemotherapy, leukemia patients and things like that."
Graves said it is a great move to partner with Schuylkill Health in providing the services to Schuylkill County patients, who will no longer have to travel to Danville or other health providers in other areas.
"We're excited about the partnership with Schuylkill Health to be able to bring this program to them," Graves said. "They will be helping us a lot by providing ancillary services, such as X-ray, and labs to our patients so they don't have to travel anywhere. It's a partnership we've been looking forward to for over a year. We've renovated this half of the floor for about $1.8 million. It's a rather extensive renovation I must say."
He added, "Mr. Simodejka and his team have been very helpful in allowing us to come in and renovate this area and be somewhat disruptive to this hospital over the last several months. Again, in the end, we're going to have a joint program and a partnership that will be strong for this community."
"This has also added jobs," Simodejka said. "At this time, Geisinger will be employing five people and it will probably grow over time. It will probably also add jobs in this medical center related to services we will be providing for these patients. We're excited about that and it's always a positive."
Simodejka said the replacement of the CT scanner with the dual-purpose PET/CT scanner in December will be a positive service to the Geisinger clinic.
"Most studies that are done using a PET/CT scanner are related to cancer care," Simodejka said. "That unit is now here in-house, where previously we were doing that service by bringing a trailer in, doing it two days a month. Now we can do it 20 days a month. Cancer patients who need to be followed after their treatment can have the scan done here."
Positron emission tomography and computerized tomography help pinpoint the location of cancer in the body before treatment options are recommended. A PET/CT scanner combines the strengths of both machines in a single scan.
"A lot of things went into Geisinger's role and Schuylkill Health's role in looking at this from a true comprehensive aspect for the patient so they don't have to travel," Simodejka said.
Physicians interested in more information or to refer a patient can call Medlink, Geisinger's physician referral line, at 800-332-8901 or 570-624-4888.