St. Mary\u2019s Health System will once again provide medical oncology services to patients in Lewiston through a collaboration with an Augusta-based cancer care team.<\/p>\n
Starting July 7, healthcare providers from MaineGeneral\u2019s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta will work two days a week in Lewiston to provide medical oncology services, which focus on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.<\/p>\n
Patients will still have to establish care in Augusta. But ongoing oncology services, therapies and medical visits can continue at St. Mary\u2019s, bringing care closer to home for many patients in Lewiston-Auburn and surrounding communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the concerns we heard most often from our community was the importance of local access to cancer treatment,\u201d Win Brown, president of St. Mary\u2019s Health System, said in a news release Wednesday. \u201cRestoring access to medical oncology services at St. Mary\u2019s has been an important goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
St. Mary\u2019s suspended medical oncology services in 2024 after its previous oncology team, part of a partnership with MaineHealth, was relocated to Brunswick. Early cancer detection and diagnostic services continued, but the hospital\u2019s IV infusion center was no longer open to oncological infusions. Some patients had to leave.<\/p>\n
One breast cancer survivor said she had been with St. Mary\u2019s breast health program for 20 years before services were cut off. She established care at the Bennett Breast Care Center at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, but said she\u2019d rather have all her doctors in one place.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll my care is and always has been at St Mary\u2019s,\u201d she said, \u201cso I\u2019d prefer to return there, if possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a doctor and two advanced practice providers starting at St. Mary\u2019s next week, patients will have access to infusion treatments and the full suite of cancer services offered in Augusta: hematology, radiation oncology, clinical trials, genetic counseling, oncology navigation, social work support, nutritional counseling and survivorship resources.<\/p>\n
MaineGeneral has similar partnerships with MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington and Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan. Patients can usually be seen for an initial cancer consultation in Augusta within a week, said Debbie Bowden, associate vice president of oncology services at MaineGeneral Medical Center.<\/p>\n
Before long, Bowden said they\u2019re back home with a treatment plan that can be carried out locally.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are providing the oncology subspecialty for all three satellite clinics so that each community has access to specialty medical oncologists instead of having to travel for consultation,\u201d Bowden said.<\/p>\n