FirstHealth of the Carolinas and the medical oncology physicians of Pinehurst Medical Clinic have collaborated to open a hematology and medical oncology clinic in a newly renovated FirstHealth facility at 220 Page Road (the former Ambulatory Surgery Center.)

Cancer specialists Drs. Ellen Willard, David Allen and Robert Pohlmeyer have offices in the building and will begin seeing patients in the new facility Monday, Feb. 5.

A second phase of the collaboration will occur Feb. 19, when the FirstHealth outpatient chemotherapy unit will move from Moore Regional Hospital to the new facility, which is called the FirstHealth Outpatient Cancer Center.

With the changes, patients will for the first time be able to see their hematology/oncology physicians and receive chemotherapy in one location.

"This ushers in a new era of cancer care in our community," says Bill Edwards, CEO of Pinehurst Medical Clinic. "It allows care to be delivered in a highly integrated fashion and a highly personal fashion."

"The new facility brings physicians and hospital services together for more streamlined, coordinated care," says Kerry Husted, the project administrator and administrative director of Moore Regional's Oncology Service Line and Pharmacy. "With physicians' offices just down the hall from where patients are receiving therapy, physicians and nurses will be able to work together more closely and more efficiently to provide the best treatment for each patient.

"It will also be reassuring for patients to know that physicians are nearby while they are receiving therapy."

With 16 chairs, Moore Regional's previous outpatient chemotherapy facility had reached its capacity due to the growth in the number of cancer patients needing treatment. The new Outpatient Cancer Center will increase chair availability to 30.

"This will allow us to accommodate more patients and in a more timely and convenient manner, and the environment should be less crowded and more comfortable," says Willard, who is medical director of the Outpatient Cancer Center. "This larger facility will permit us to expand services as demand grows even more."

The Outpatient Cancer Center also has office and clinic space for additional cancer physicians who will be joining Pinehurst Medical Clinic in the future.

"It will help us attract and retain the very best oncologists on the national level," Edwards says.

Cancer patients receive chemotherapy in the form of an intravenous (IV) infusion. Infusion also is used to deliver other types of drugs and blood products to patients with various types of cancers and blood disorders.

"Working together, Pinehurst Medical Clinic and Moore Regional Hospital provide the latest and most advanced medical oncology and hematology treatment services in the region," Edwards says. "Our cancer patients have the twin advantages of world-class cancer care provided by a fully integrated team of caregivers and their own personal medical oncologist who knows them and makes sure they have access to whatever services they need."

Clinic hours for the Outpatient Cancer Center are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The telephone number is 715-3500, and the fax number is 715-3501.?