Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital on Path to Offer Local Chemotherapy, Thanks to WV Congressional Delegation

Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital will soon be able to to provide the patients of Preston County with chemotherapy treatment, close to home, thanks to the efforts of the West Virginia Congressional delegation who secured $580,000 in federal appropriations to construct a Chemotherapy Infusion Center and renovate the existing hospital pharmacy. 

“U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, and U.S. Representative David McKinley were instrumental in the approval process, and we extend our sincerest thank you for their support and advocation as we provide necessary chemotherapy services to our patients,” said Melissa Lockwood, Chief Administrative Officer at Mon Health Preston Memorial.

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among West Virginians, and early diagnosis and treatment, often through chemotherapy and surgery, are the best ways to extend the lives of those battling the disease. Currently, patients with cancer in Preston County must leave the region and travel an hour or more over secondary roads to receive customized chemotherapy treatment away from their homes, families, and jobs. 

“The ability to offer a full-service infusion center in Preston County will help countless cancer patients avoid having to travel long distances to get vital life-extending therapies. During such a difficult time in their lives, this new center will give them one more tool to help them focus on healing, not the burden of their disease,” said Dr. Ihtishaam Qazi, Mon Health System Medical Director and Medical Oncologist at Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital, Mon Health Medical Center, and Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital. 

The construction of the new Chemotherapy Infusion Center and renovation of the existing hospital pharmacy will allow patients diagnosed with cancer to receive quality care in a familiar setting. This addition will enhance local awareness of cancer prevention and treatment options, as well as create short-term jobs and add five new full-time or part-time health positions. 

The Center and expanded pharmacy, complete with a hazardous drug compounding room, anteroom, and hazardous drug storage, will include a nurses’ station, waiting area, two private rooms, 225 square feet of open space for infusion chairs, 55 square feet for an observation room, and a private bathroom.

“Mon Health System has made it a priority to enhance and expand its cancer care services and is proud to work towards providing the patients of Preston County with customized chemotherapy treatment right here at home,” said David Goldberg, President and CEO of Mon Health System. 

To learn more about Oncology services offered at Mon Health, visit MonHealth.com/Cancer.