As the Leonard Lawson Cancer Center continues to grow, oncologists are treating more patients than ever before. With Pikeville Medical Center’s (PMC) Infusion Services seeing patients from Ky., Va., W.Va. and Tenn., the shared space between infusion and chemotherapy was getting a little crowded.

The best solution for both was to move PMC’s infusion services to the main campus of the hospital.

“The main reason for moving infusion to the Elliott Building was because the chemo volume has picked up with the addition of our four new oncologists this year,” said Vickie Justus, PMC inpatient oncology services manager. “They really needed those infusion chairs for chemotherapy in the Cancer Center.”

Infusion Services also gained many advantages from the move.

For starters, PMC can now do more pediatric infusions. The Cancer Center could not do pediatric infusions with chemo going on, because children are not allowed back into that space. Therefore any pediatric infusions would have to be specially scheduled on the weekends when the Cancer Center is not typically opened.

Another benefit for infusion services is the space itself.

The new location on the third floor of the Elliott Building has five infusion chairs with large bay areas with partition walls, giving patients much more privacy. There are also two infusion beds for patients who may be bed ridden, can not sit in a chair, or for a patient who needs isolation. There is also a brand new, very spacious waiting area.

Other ways patients benefit from infusion services being at PMC’s main campus are the extended hours and valet parking.

The Cancer Center is open on weekdays from 8am to 4:30pm. Infusion Services are now available daily from 7am to 7pm. Patients can also take advantage of free valet parking in front of the Heart & Vascular Institute from 6am to 5pm on weekdays.

The most common types of infusion therapy include infusions of IV fluid, blood and iron. Some patients need infusion for a few weeks, some need it for months.
“All PMC bariatric patients come for IV fluids for three weeks after surgery, we have several anemic patients who are treated with infusion, but most of the patients getting infusion therapy need IV antibiotic treatments,” said Justus.

For more information about PMC’s Infusion Services, please call 606-218-4950.