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 will continue to be led locally by Robert Rupert, MD, and Jenna Hoffman, CNP, along with Memorial’s expert nursing and pharmacy teams in the Specialty Care Center.
By joining The James Cancer Network, Memorial will continue to 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.
Together, Dr. Rupert and Jenna 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 and the organization over $5.2 million in 2020 by accessing grants/foundations, free drug allowances, and more! This is double the amount of savings over 2019!
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.
As part of our Memorial 2020 expansion and enhancement project, Memorial Health opened a new Cancer Center in May 2021. Designed with more space for infusions/chemotherapy, the new Cancer Center features communal and private treatment areas with natural light and outdoor views to enhance patient comfort.
Memorial’s Specialty Care Team worked side-by-side with current cancer patients, garnering their input and feedback on design elements. In fact, the team brought in a series of infusion chair options for patients to try out! They trialed each option, weighing in on leg comfort, back support, and more – the most popular design was selected and our patients feel honored to have been a part of the overall planning.
These best-in-class facilities and comfortable surroundings are blended with advanced medical expertise and compassionate staff, important elements as cancer patients navigate their journey. We feel honored to have an area that can serve as a haven of comfort and solace for patients who are coming to Memorial for treatments.
Features of the new Cancer Center include:
Four treatment rooms for patients in need of blood transfusions or fluid/antibiotic infusions. These rooms are able to be private if the patient desires or the treatment requires discretion. The rooms are also designed with sliding walls, allowing for group conversations and interactions, if preferred.
Specifically for those treatments that last less than two hours, five Rapid Treatment bays are designed for patients who will be receiving brief treatments, such as port flushes, iron infusions, injections, or therapeutic blood draws.
Five chemotherapy and infusion treatment rooms feature open spaces, filled with natural sunlight and furnished with comfortable chairs. Patients can chat with others during treatment, or if they prefer privacy, the room can be closed off and quiet. Both design concepts allow a variety of patient desires and needs to be met.
An optimized working area for clinical staff ensures nurses can be near each patient as they progress through their treatment. This allows the nurses to be in close proximity, but it also encourages team collaboration and efficiency.
Designed with oncology patients and caregivers in mind, a new giftery named Journeys offers items for those undergoing treatments, like wig caps, turbans, specialty skincare and more. In addition, they have a selection of inspirational gifts, snacks, and candies. Patients can also be fitted for free wigs or access resource materials. Every cancer patient receives a complimentary comfort quilt, gifted to Memorial from local quilter groups, as a token of love and encouragement. Proceeds from Journeys are allocated by the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary toward projects that benefit our oncology and hematology patients.
To learn more about the services provided at the Memorial Cancer Center, call (937) 578-2020.
View the video tour of our Memorial Cancer Center to learn about our cancer care services.
