Mosaic Medical Center - Albany is opening a new cancer care clinic next month. Mosaic Medical has made a number of moves to expand its offerings in its rural locations over the past year, including a new Women's care facility in Bedford, Iowa, and an expansion to its rural healthcare partnership with the Medical School at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.
President of Mosaic Medical Center - Albany and family practitioner Dr. Katie Dias says cancer rates are rising in rural areas, especially after many patients delayed care during the COVID pandemic.
Dias says, " You know, I'm able to see it from the lens of a physician and so I saw my patients deferring their preventive cares, deferring those colonoscopies, those pap smears, mammograms, because they didn't want to risk getting sick. What we've found coming out of that is those delayed diagnoses so people may present more sick. We know that there's a rising need in cancer care for the rural communities."
The clinic will connect residents with Mosaic oncologists. Radiation technology will not be available at the clinic, at least initially, but chemotherapy infusions will be. According to Dr. Dias those services will have a significant impact.
" Being able to receive your chemotherapy locally is a huge win for the community.", says Dias.
Tune in tomorrow around nine a m for a longer discussion with Dr. Katie Dias on KXCV's Medical Minute, or find the interview at KXCV.org.
