Greetings from the Johnston Memorial Cancer Center. I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy. Our Radiation Oncology Department continues to grow in volume. We are currently treating 15-18 patients daily. Our CT and Radiology Departments are open and provide a new way for JMH patients to experience quality care and an easy way to get your exams done with little or no waiting time.

Construction has been completed in the building except for the 2nd floor and the Medical Oncology space. Work is underway to complete these sections with our Grand Opening scheduled sometime after the first of the year.

Our building has been used for several hospital and community functions recently, giving us the opportunity to show off the facility to the public. We hosted a JMH Staff Night to educate our staff on what the building had to offer. A JMH New Physician Meet and Greet function also took place at the Cancer Center where we gave a multitude of tours. Ladies Night Out, a Breast Cancer Awareness program, was held at the Cancer Center on 9 October in conjunction with the American Cancer Society. It was a wonderful event. Over 500 people attended. Parking was tricky, but everyone had a great time. I have heard a lot of positive feedback from our patients, our staff, and the community on the building. It is indeed something that Abingdon can be proud of.

I hope everyone has noticed our new billboards and enjoyed our new commercials featuring our Radiation Oncology Staff. We want everyone in the region to know what we have to offer here in Abingdon.

You may have seen the news that U.S. Representative Rick Boucher announced that at his request, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its Rural Utilities Service, is providing a federal grant in the amount of $182,968 to establish four new telemedicine sites in Southwest Virginia. The new telemedicine sites will be linked electronically to the University of Virginia's hospital in Charlottesville and other specialized medical centers, in order to serve patients in Lee, Grayson, Wise, Washington, Dickenson, Russell, Smyth, Scott and Buchanan Counties. JMH and the Cancer Center are two of the sites that will be part of this service. We are excited to be part of this exciting new technology to better serve our patients.

Our normal hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Our phone numbers are (276) 739-CARE (2273) or (276) 739-2222. Our fax number is (276) 628-1523. The entrance to the department is located at the rear of the building. Just follow the signs to Radiation Oncology upon arrival at the site. You can take either exit 19 or exit 22 to reach us. We are located about 100 yards from the DMV.

If reading my blog triggers a comment or a question, or if you just want to say hello, please post a comment to me. I really want to hear what the community thinks about the Cancer Center and I want to make sure that you are kept informed with our progress and what is happening in our never ending fight against cancer.