WVU Medicine, Garrett County Memorial announce opening of Cancer Center, clinical affiliation

A new Cancer Care and Infusion Services Center, located at Garrett County Memorial Hospital (GCMH) in Oakland, Md., will be a satellite of WVU Medicine’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center.

Construction of the new center is slated to begin this month. The facility will welcome its first patient in January 2016.

The new facility will improve access to cancer care services, as the nearest regional medical center is an hour’s drive for most residents.

“This is a real hardship for our residents, especially the elderly, disabled and under-employed people who often may go without access to cancer care services entirely,” said GCMH President and CEO Mark Boucot.

“We will support the cancer program at GCMH with clinical trials and research, especially when patients present with aggressive or rarer forms of cancer,” said Hannah Hazard, MD, FACS, director of clinical services and surgeon-in-chief at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center.

WVU Medicine’s relationship with GCMH will evolve once the satellite cancer facility opens.

“Our first goal will be to provide cancer care services here in Garrett, and afterwards, the clinical affiliation will help GCMH to improve the community’s access to specialty and subspecialty care, as well as support physician recruitment initiatives,” Boucot added.

“We are excited to be partnering with GCMH to provide Cancer Care and other specialty services in Garrett County,” said WVU Medicine President and CEO Albert Wright. “It’s our mission to provide high quality care in the communities we serve.”

Pictured, from left, are Hannah Hazard, M.D., director of clinical services and surgeon-in-chief at WVU Cancer Institute; Albert Wright, president and CEO of WVU Medicine - WVU Hospitals; Mark Boucot, president and CEO of GCMH; Judie Charlton, M.D., chief medical officer at WVU Medicine - WVU Hospitals; Dorothy Walters, chair of GCMH Cancer Care Fundraising Campaign; and Courtney Case, community manager for the American Cancer Society

Read the full press release on the GCMH website.