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Healthcare facilities don't suddenly decide to perform advanced blood and bone marrow transplants. It takes research, careful planning and the complete dedication of staff and resources.
 At West Virginia University's Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, the commitment to provide state residents with the very best transplant services began in 1990. At that time, West Virginians were faced with waiting lists at distant facilities, extended periods away from home and costly travel expenses for visitors and caregivers.
In the fall of 1992, the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program performed its first transplant. Since then we've treated hundreds of patients from West Virginia and the surrounding region, and we remain in touch with a growing number of former patients each year.
We've performed transplants on patients with a wide variety of diagnoses, including breast, ovarian and testicular cancer, non-Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia and other diseases.
First-Rate Transplantation Right Here in West Virginia
The only transplant facility in West Virginia is a 12-bed unit located 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 and spacious private rooms with bathrooms, televisions and VCRs. Our program is supported by dedicated clinical laboratories and a dedicated outpatient clinic within the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Patient Care
Solveig G. Ericson, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program. She and her colleagues have expertise in the complex management of transplant patients and offer a personalized and compassionate approach to clinical care.
Daily care in the Transplant Unit is multidisciplinary. The team includes physicians who are experts in blood and marrow transplantation, transplant nurse coordinators, a dedicated pharmacist and physician's assistants and registered nurses with additional intensive care and transplant training. There is typically one nurse for every two to three patients. Physical therapists, dieticians, nutritionists, respiratory therapists, social workers and other professionals bring their own high level of expertise to the transplant team. The team works together to coordinate care from the time of referral through hospital admission and follow-up visits. This intensity and continuity of care are critical to our success.
Consulting Specialists from Many Disciplines
The Transplant Unit's location on the campus of a major teaching hospital provides patients with total support during treatment. When needed, the transplant team can draw upon the expertise of a wide variety of clinical specialists including radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons and others.
Home Physicians: A Critical Partnership
The transplant team maintains close contact with a patient's home physician before, during and after transplantation and treatment. We consider the home physicians to be our partner-and work to see that as much care as possible is performed close to home, including pre-transplant testing.
Advancing Cure Rates through Research and Affiliations
At any given time, several major basic research projects are under way within the transplant program's laboratories. The goal of this research program is to better understand the biological mechanisms regulating blood cell formation and to use this information to improve clinical outcomes.
We also conduct clinical research trials in collaboration with the North American Marrow Transplant Group (NAMTG) and a number of pharmaceutical companies.
We are members of the National Marrow Donor Program and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. By working with other transplant groups and conducting clinical trials, we can provide patients with the newest therapies available in a setting that is convenient and close to home.
Special Housing for Special Patients
For patients and families who must stay for long periods in Morgantown, Ruby Memorial Hospital offers convenient, comfortable and affordable temporary housing at Rosenbaum Family House. Located next to the hospital, Rosenbaum Family House offers a home-away-from-home environment, complete with kitchen and recreation areas. It includes single rooms with private baths as well as several individual apartments. Morgantown also offers a wide range of hotels and apartments. Our social workers work closely with patients to choose which housing option is best.
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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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