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Index:
Welcome
Welcome Making the choice to have a blood or bone marrow transplant is about hope-for you and for the people who depend on you. Across America, blood and marrow transplants have given new life to thousands of people whose diseases were once incurable.
The vast majority of transplant survivors lead full and meaningful lives. They have learned to overcome personal fears, gained a greater appreciation of life and discovered spiritual strength as a result of the transplant experience.
About Our Program
 The Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center is West Virginia's only source for blood and marrow transplants. Since October 1992, we have treated hundreds of patients from West Virginia and the surrounding regions. We remain in touch with a growing number of former patients and their families each year. Along with outstanding staff and technology, we offer patients the ability to receive the latest treatment close to home and family. Because of the lengthy hospital stays associated with many transplants, this can be a tremendous benefit to visitors, families and caregivers.
Our doctors, nurses and staff offer a personalized, caring and compassionate approach to every patient they treat. A carefully working team, they have dedicated their lives to the unique needs of patients like you.
New Therapies and Treatments
In addition to patient care responsibilities, many of our staff members work on the leading edge of technology-developing innovative new drugs and therapies to reduce side effects and improve success rates. We are members of the National Marrow Donor Program, the North American Marrow Transplant Group and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. By working with other transplant groups and conducting clinical trials, we can provide you with the newest therapies available, right here at home.
The Treatment Team
 Our transplant team works together to coordinate your care from the time of referral through hospital admission and follow-up visits. During the course of your stay here, they will become like family-available night and day for your comfort and assurance. This intensity and continuity of care is critical to our success.
The team includes a medical director, attending physicians who are experts in blood and marrow transplantation, specially trained physician's assistants, registered nurses and technicians, transplant coordinators, a pharmacist, a chaplain, social workers and others. There is typically one nurse for every two or three patients. Because they are with you daily, special bonds develop between patients and the transplant team members-bonds that can last for many years after recovery.
The role of each member of the transplant team is important. However, the most important team members are patients and their families. You are the reason we are here. We ask you, as part of the team, to work with us to help achieve a successful treatment.
The Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit
The Transplant Unit is located on 9 West in Ruby Memorial Hospital, at the heart of West Virginia University's Medical Center. It is a comfortable and highly protective environment, with special air filter systems to decrease exposure to germs. The rooms are private with self-contained bathrooms, televisions and VCRs.
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This is a publication of the Blood and Marrow Transplatation Program of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and Ruby Memorial Hospital at West Virginia University’s Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center.
Acknowledgment: Funding for this handbook was provided by Annette, Marc and Darren Tanner in memory of Douglas H. Tanner.
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