Photo courtesy Southside Regional Medical Center
Oncology services are being centralized in Petersburg in the Medical Arts Pavilion at Southside Regional Medical Center.
Work should be completed this summer on the project, which involves turning unused space in the pavilion building into offices and treatment facilities, according to a release. The space will be home to surgical oncologist Sasa-Grae Espino of the Southside Physician Network and provide offices for Jori Carter of Central Virginia Gynecologic Oncology. It also will house 3-D mammography, oncology genetics, new and larger ultrasound rooms in an expanded Women’s Imaging Center, and a larger waiting area. Virginia Cancer Institute’s radiation and chemotherapy services are already in the pavilion. The oncology staff at the medical center will add an imaging navigator, a staff member who will help patients with scheduling and coordinating care with other providers.
“It’s a one-stop shop, pretty much, for any oncology needs you have in this area,” says Trent Nobles, chief executive officer for the facility.
The medical center is the only full-service facility of its kind between Richmond and North Carolina, Nobles says. It serves a core area of the Tri-Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg, and Fort Lee.
Dr. Espino, one of three fellowship-trained breast surgeons in metro Richmond, joined the medical center about 1 and a half years ago, Nobles says. Previously, many patients in the adjoining communities were having to travel to Richmond for breast care. The expanded oncology-related services will allow more people to stay closer to their homes.
The project will complete the buildout of the 7,899-square-foot pavilion and an overall price tag of about $1.75 million.