Oncology & Hematology

Our Expert Cancer Team, Ready to Fight for You.

View the video tour of our Memorial Cancer Center to learn about our cancer care services.

Memorial Health has teamed up with one of the nation’s leading cancer research and care providers, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), through their James Cancer Network, to provide oncology services at Memorial sites in our service area.

These services are led locally by Robert Rupert, MD;  Jenna Hoffman, CNP; and Olivia LeMaster, CNP; along with Memorial’s expert nursing and pharmacy teams in the Specialty Care Center.

By joining The James Cancer Network, Memorial can provide broad, state-of-the-art, and compassionate cancer care to the region.

As network members, Memorial providers and patients have a direct connection to the expertise and subspecialization at the OSUCCC – James. You see, cancer research by specialization is now at our fingertips. Not to mention a wealth of information on patient treatments and outcomes by cancer type. Memorial can utilize these expert connections and medical advancements to help patients navigate their cancer journey.

Additionally, Dr. Rupert and his team can tap into clinical trials and patient case reviews, as well. Our team can access hundreds of open clinical trials at any given time, with some of the world’s latest discoveries available to clinical trial patients. For cancer patients, clinical trials mean hope. Hope in a world without cancer and in better, more targeted ways to prevent, detect, treat, and cure individual cancers.

Additionally, case reviews enable Dr. Rupert to coordinate with OSUCCC – James specialists from surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, genetics, and pathology to review a patient’s condition and determine the best treatment plan. Plus, Dr. Rupert served for years as the Medical Director for Oncology at The Ohio State University, JamesCare East, so he has strong connections, backed by years of oncology expertise.

Together, you’ve got the best and brightest cancer team, so you can be confident in the quality of your care.

With our membership in The James Cancer Network, our team can also connect you to classes, virtual programs, and support groups for those fighting cancer. Take a peek at some of the topics:

• From Surviving to Thriving – Monthly Music Workshop
• Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Older Cancer Survivors
• Living with Advanced Cancer
• Fertility Preservation and Reproductive Health Concerns in Cancer Survivorship

As a member of The James Cancer Network, Memorial is bringing leading-edge oncology care to patients in our region. To our patients, it means advanced cancer care while staying close to home, where they can be near their loved ones and their support system – a vital piece in the cancer patient’s journey. It also means peace of mind knowing expert-level care is available seamlessly, if additional treatments are required at The James locations. This collaboration enables Memorial to make a difference in the lives of those who are battling this disease and those who are supporting them.

Our Care Team

Ready to Fight for You

In our patients’ fight with cancer, their strength comes from a multitude of places – their deep resolve and hope, their family and support system, their faith. And that fight gets doubled, even tripled up, with the expertise and drive of the cancer fighters from Memorial.

Add to that, our team works hand-in-hand with the experts at the OSUCCC – James for an “all-in” approach for those who are confronting some of the most challenging times. Together, we all unite to walk every step of the journey with our patients.

Dr. Robert Rupert leads the cancer services for Memorial Oncology & Hematology. His expertise, along with Memorial’s affiliation with The James Cancer Network, brings leading-edge oncology care to patients. Dr. Rupert’s background includes over 28 years of experience in oncology and hematology, previously as Medical Director for Oncology at the OSUCCC – James’ JamesCare East clinic in Columbus. In addition, he served as Assistant Professor-Clinical in the Divisions of Medical Oncology and Hematology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Jenna Hoffman, Certified Nurse Practitioner, joins Dr. Rupert to provide a continuum of care for patients diagnosed with cancer or malignant/non-malignant blood disorders. Jenna additionally heads up a cross-functional team at Memorial that leads our Lung Cancer Screening Program. Her previous experience includes serving as an Oncology Hematology nurse practitioner in Columbus, as well as nearly five years at Memorial Hospital prior. In 2024, Jenna was named as Memorial’s Physician Extender of the Year, a recognition of her outstanding achievements within our organization.

Olivia LeMaster, Certified Nurse Practitioner, has been caring for hematology/acute leukemia patients for over 10 years, previously at The James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute before joining Memorial. She has her Master of Science in Nursing with an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty from The Ohio State University.

Together, Dr. Rupert, Jenna, and Olivia collaborate with those within their cancer journey, focusing on treatment option plans, nutritional guidance, patient education, in addition to continual oncological care. Let’s meet the rest of the team!

• Our chemotherapy and infusions are delivered by Registered Nurses who specialize in cancer care and blood disorder treatments, as well as supportive symptom management. They are alongside the patient for each treatment, which can range from chemotherapy that works to reach and kill cancer cells, to infusions that deliver antibiotics, hydration, pain medication, and more.
• Our Oncology Coordinators serve as a patient liaison for matters such as appointments, treatment questions, and side effect resolutions. They are located in the heart of the new Cancer Center where they can be a source of knowledge and assurance for patients and caregivers.
• Our Oncology Pharmacists work with their fellow clinical teams to collaborate on cancer treatment options and progress, while providing medication education to those fighting cancer.
• Navigating cancer truly takes a team, and our Patient Navigators know the direction to take. They work closely with patients and caregivers to help maneuver the healthcare system and cancer treatment journey, searching for medication financial assistance from pharmaceutical companies, foundations, and local cancer societies.
  • Our navigators saved patients over $2.5 million in 2022 by accessing grants/foundations, free drug allowances, and more!
• Our Memorial Health Foundation offers a program to assist patients receiving oncology care at Memorial Health. Our Oncology Patient Financial Assistance Program provides funds to financially assist patients with appointment co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, prescriptions, and/or transportation costs. Our hope is to alleviate some of the financial burden for patients so they may focus on their health while undergoing cancer treatment. For more information, click here.

On top of the resources available from The James Cancer Network, we can expand our team approach, calling on fellow fighters including surgeons from Memorial General & Colorectal Surgery, additional pharmacists, expert members of our Imaging or Laboratory team, as well as dietitians from Diabetes/Nutrition Counseling and those within Spiritual Care, to help round out the care.

Our Cancer Center