Carson Tahoe Health opens blood and bone marrow transplant care clinic

Carson Tahoe Cancer Center in Carson City opened a new blood and bone marrow transplant care clinic on Monday with support from the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. Under the collaboration, a Bone Marrow Transplant physician and nurse from HCI will travel to Carson City once a month to treat patients both before and after they receive a transplant.

Blood and marrow transplants are performed in patients with cancers of the blood and lymphatic systems, including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. The transplants replace bone marrow that has been damaged or destroyed with a supply of healthy blood stem cells, which in turn travel to the bone marrow and promote growth of new marrow.

Currently, patients in the Northern Nevada area who need a transplant must travel outside the area for treatment. Through this model, patients will still receive their transplant at HCI in Salt Lake City. But they will now be able to receive care at the Carson Tahoe clinic for planning and follow-up appointments, which typically occur every month for a year following transplant.

“This clinic is going to enable patients to receive more of their pre-and post-BMT care closer to home,” said Daniel Couriel, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Utah and Director of HCI’s BMT program. “We hope to maximize the time patients can spend in their own homes with their loved ones as they recover.”

The BMT clinic will be open the third Monday of every month. Patients can access the clinic by referral.

“Because of the added bench strength we receive from HCI, we are better equipped to provide outstanding bone marrow transplant care, close to home,” said Ed Epperson, CEO of CTH.

CTH formally affiliated with University of Utah Health in 2013 and with Huntsman Cancer Institute in 2015 in an effort to improve accessibility to specialty care for Northern Nevada residents. The relationship between the health care systems provides resources that allow Carson Tahoe Health to meet the ever-changing health care needs of the community.

“Both organizations share a commitment to providing the highest quality cancer care to patients, no matter where they live,” said John Sweetenham, MD, Executive Medical Director at Huntsman Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at the University of Utah. “BMT treatment is a very unique type of care, and we look forward to working with Carson Tahoe to bring this service to the community.”

To find out more about the clinic, residents can call Carson Tahoe Cancer Center at 775-445-7500.

About Carson Tahoe Health (CTH)
Carson Tahoe Health, an affiliate of University of Utah Health, is a local, not-for-profit healthcare system with 240 licensed acute care beds. Serving a population of over 250,000, CTH features two hospitals, two urgent cares, an emergent care center, outpatient services and a provider network with 20 regional locations. The system is headquartered on a beautiful master planned 80-acre medical campus nestled among the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in North Carson City. As the system’s cornerstone, Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center (CTRMC), voted 5th most beautiful hospital in the nation, was the first Baby-Friendly designated hospital in Nevada. Also included on the campus is Carson Tahoe Sierra Surgery, the 15-bed boutique elective surgery arm of CTRMC, and Carson Tahoe Cancer Center, an affiliate of Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. For more information, go to www.carsontahoe.com.

About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is a National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, meeting the highest standards for cancer research. HCI is located on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and is a part of the University of Utah Health system. HCI treats patients with all forms of cancer and operates several high-risk clinics that focus on melanoma and breast, colon, and pancreas cancers, among others. HCI also provides academic and clinical training for future physicians and researchers. For more information about HCI, please visit www.huntsmancancer.org.