12/17/2025
Moments that Matter
🎗️Cancer treatment is never just about medicine — it’s about people, courage, and the moments that carry us forward. Each treatment represents more than a clinical step in care, it is a moment of hope, resilience, and connection. Patients walk through our doors facing uncertainty, but they are met with a team dedicated to compassion, expertise, and encouragement.
From the gentle reassurance of a nurse, to another survivor offering helpful tips and ideas, these moments remind us that healing is not only physical - it is emotional and it’s about community. Every smile shared during a difficult day becomes a milestone, and every patient story adds to the legacy of care that defines our program.
Today we had the privilege of spending time with two remarkable patients and their wives, who have formed a unique bond through their treatment journey. What began in the infusion room has grown into a friendship close enough that they would say they feel like “next door neighbors.”
💙Andy and Vicki Jo Gerhardt make the trip from Plainville for Andy’s treatments and shared their experience: “Everybody is so friendly. Everywhere you go in this building the staff are telling you hello and checking on you.” Andy also shared: “I have been dealing with cancer and different treatments for nine years now. We knew Oakley was a new program, but we wanted to follow Dr. Rodriguez. We feel like we have grown right along with this staff. They are receptive to our thoughts and suggestions because they know we have already been through it and we know what works for us. The staff is so good at what they do, and pleasant to be around. The atmosphere is so great.”
💙Kirk and Judy Koelling travel from Russell for Kirk’s treatments. Reflecting on his experience, Kirk shared, “I went through cancer treatments with my mother at another facility, and the process here feels so much more personable — you truly feel like you’re one on one with people.” Judy added that she values how the staff takes time to explain everything clearly, ensuring both of them understand what’s happening. “They never make me feel like I’m asking a silly question,” she said. “They answer everything. The entire staff cares for us and has made us feel like family.”
🌟Together, these stories remind us that cancer care is not only about treatment — it’s about trust, compassion, and the bonds that form along the way. Our program is honored to walk beside patients and families, creating moments that matter and a place that truly feels like home.