Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1439655
compassion and empathy. Every person's attitude is different toward cancer and cancer treatment. We try to put ourselves in the patient's shoes. We are making sure that everyone is getting high-quality tai- lored treatment, as well as that personal care from us," says Dr. Mathew. Oneida Health provides contact with a nurse navigator from the very beginning of a patient's cancer journey. The nurse nav igator is ava i lable to coordinate appointments, answer questions, identify patient needs, and provide financial coun- seling. Often the nurse navigator is there just to listen. "The nurse navigator is very important," says Martinez, "Cancer is a journey and there can be very complicated treatment plans. They are the advocate and champion of the patient, and essential to their care." The nurse navigator is the glue that keeps it all together, bridging the gap between offices, providers, campuses, and even family members. For a patient who has other social and financial issues, the nurse navigator provides the support that might not otherwise be available, forming a close bond with the patient and their family. Dr. Ma r tinez a nd Dr. Mat hew a re readily available to referring physicians whenever questions about a patient 's DR. MELISSA MOFFIT T, a Roswell Park Gynecologic Oncologist, travels to Oneida once a month to perform surgeries and see patients at Oneida's Women's Health office across the street from the Oneida Health Hospital. She specializes in complex gynecologic surgeries and minimally invasive procedures such as vaginal surgery, laparoscopic surgery and robot-assisted laparoscopy. Dr. Moffitt also provides fertility-sparing medical and surgical treatments for gynecologic malignancies and treatments for sexual health issues cancer survivors and pre-vivors. After performing morning surgeries in at Oneida Health Hospital, she sees anywhere from six to ten patients for consults or follow ups at Women's Health. Dr. Moffitt has a one-on-one relationship with the other providers in the Women's Health practice coordinating surgical cases and communicating regularly, as a true integrated part of the group. The same staff service patients whether they are seeing Dr. Moffitt or one of the other gynecologists in the group, cementing the seamless relationship between Roswell Park and Oneida Health. Patients referred to Dr. Moffitt have surgery in Oneida, and all follow up visits occur in Oneida as well. Melissa Moffitt, MD, FACOG is a Roswell Park Gynecologic Oncologist who sees patients in Oneida. She specializes in complex gynecologic and minimally invasive surgeries. Surgical Oncologist in Oneida: Dr. Melissa Moffitt The Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center services include CT simulation and a TrueBeam Linear Accelerator. The Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center is equipped with TrueBeam radiotherapy, the most advanced linear accelerator and radiosurgery treatment system available. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l N E W Y O R K n 2 0 2 2 0 9