Patients in Wayne County facing a cancer diagnosis will now be able to receive certain treatments much closer to home. Wayne Memorial Hospital opened the doors of its new oncology center on April 1. The center is an expansion of St. Joseph’s/Candler’s Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion (LCRP).
 
“We’ve partnered with Wayne Memorial Hospital because of their remarkable commitment to their patients,” said St. Joseph’s/Candler President & CEO Paul P. Hinchey. “Those patients had previously been traveling long distances for chemotherapy services, and we agreed that high-quality, compassionate cancer care in Wayne County was long overdue.”
 
Asit Jha, MD, an oncologist and hematologist, will serve as the director of the new center. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month, Dr. Jha thanked Mr. Hinchey and Wayne Memorial CEO Joe Ierardi for the partnership that made the vision of a cancer center in Jesup a reality.  The center already had about 50 patients scheduled for treatment on its opening day.
 
The center has eight infusion chairs and the chemotherapy medication will be mixed on site. Dr. Jha said that the convenience and closeness of the new center will benefit the emotional side of cancer care for patients.
 
The Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion is part of the National Institutes of Health Community Oncology Resource Program, which provides more expansive oncology cancer services, broader regional accessibility and the latest clinical trials.