Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion at St. Joseph's/Candler

08/01/2025

"Preparedness is key. Thankfully, we now have the ability to research our destination online. You can find out a country’s vaccination status and requirements. You can learn their version of 911. There is also a free service that the federal government offers to United States’ citizens called the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. You can register your trip abroad and receive information about that country, as well as enable the U.S. embassy to contact you in the event of an emergency.

Pack smart—bring your health insurance card and a list of your physician contacts. Another important thing to remember is packing enough of your medication. Even though you’re going somewhere to have fun and take a break from your daily life, you need to keep up with your regular medications. And if possible, bring a few extra days’ worth in case of unexpected travel delays."

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2025/ask-a-magnet-nurse

07/31/2025

For many cancer patients, successfully removing their tumor is often just the first step. They will also be referred to a medical oncologist to discuss further treatment, such as immunotherapy (which helps the immune system identify and destroy hidden cancer cells) or chemotherapy (which kills fast-growing cancer cells, but can also affect healthy cells)."

Why? Even after successful surgery, there's a risk of microscopic cancer cells being left behind or having spread locally. Medical oncology targets these cells to significantly reduce the chance of cancer returning.

But recently, for certain types of cancers, physicians have discovered an advantage in administering immunotherapy before surgery. This is called neoadjuvant (“neo” meaning new or preceding, “adjuvant” meaning helpful or assisting) immunotherapy.

“For some cancer types, neoadjuvant immunotherapy can make a tumor smaller and easier to remove surgically,” explains medical oncologist Michael Chahin, DO, of Summit Cancer Care. “It can also target cancer cells that may have spread from the tumor to other parts of the body, helping to prevent recurrence.”

For many cancer patients, successfully removing their tumor is often just the first step. They will also be referred to a medical oncologist to discuss further treatment, such as immunotherapy (which helps the immune system identify and destroy hidden cancer cells) or chemotherapy (which kills fast-growing cancer cells, but can also affect healthy cells)."

Why? Even after successful surgery, there's a risk of microscopic cancer cells being left behind or having spread locally. Medical oncology targets these cells to significantly reduce the chance of cancer returning.

But recently, for certain types of cancers, physicians have discovered an advantage in administering immunotherapy before surgery. This is called neoadjuvant (“neo” meaning new or preceding, “adjuvant” meaning helpful or assisting) immunotherapy.

“For some cancer types, neoadjuvant immunotherapy can make a tumor smaller and easier to remove surgically,” explains medical oncologist Michael Chahin, DO, of Summit Cancer Care. “It can also target cancer cells that may have spread from the tumor to other parts of the body, helping to prevent recurrence.”

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2025/before---after

07/31/2025

For many cancer patients, successfully removing their tumor is often just the first step. They will also be referred to a medical oncologist to discuss further treatment, such as immunotherapy (which helps the immune system identify and destroy hidden cancer cells) or chemotherapy (which kills fast-growing cancer cells, but can also affect healthy cells)."

Why? Even after successful surgery, there's a risk of microscopic cancer cells being left behind or having spread locally. Medical oncology targets these cells to significantly reduce the chance of cancer returning.

But recently, for certain types of cancers, physicians have discovered an advantage in administering immunotherapy before surgery. This is called neoadjuvant (“neo” meaning new or preceding, “adjuvant” meaning helpful or assisting) immunotherapy.

“For some cancer types, neoadjuvant immunotherapy can make a tumor smaller and easier to remove surgically,” explains medical oncologist Michael Chahin, DO, of Summit Cancer Care. “It can also target cancer cells that may have spread from the tumor to other parts of the body, helping to prevent recurrence.”

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2025/before---after

07/30/2025

When a young Robert Haas would answer roll call on the first day of school, the teacher would immediately assign him the front row, center seat, to keep him under close watch.

“I had a reputation for being talkative, mildly disruptive and sarcastic,” Haas recalls.

Today, he uses his gifts as an orator to bring insight and guidance through his sermons at Congregation Mickve Israel. However, on one or two evenings a month, his wry side re-emerges through his unlikely side gig as a stand-up comedian.

“I started going to open mics here in Savannah, thinking that comedy was something to check off the bucket list,” Haas says. “But then I started doing a lot of shows and was being asked to be an MC for different events. It was a good way to practice jokes that I might want to put in my sermons.”

Learn more about Rabbi Haas at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2025/a-regular-stand-up-guy

07/29/2025

Know someone who has a movement disorder? That could include Parkinson’s disease, restless leg syndrome, Tourette’s Syndrome, Essential Tremor, Huntington’s disease and other related neurological disorders.

“Maybe someone is newly diagnosed and needs to know more about Parkinson’s specific therapy programs, we can help with that,” says Katy Harne, outreach coordinator for St. Joseph's/Candler's Movement Disorders Program. “Or maybe a patient is feeling isolated and wants to meet with the local Essential Tremor support group, we can help with that. It’s about knowing all of the resources within our network and being able to refer to dedicated professionals who can help with movement disorders."

Learn more about the MDP team and the services they provide at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/blogs/blog-detail/living-smart-blog/2025/07/10/st.-joseph-s-candler-program-designed-to-help-patients-with-movement-disorders

07/29/2025

Different people will face different challenges in their cancer journey, some of which may not be evident immediately. Patients who received radiation therapy, for example, may find themselves needing treatment now for tissue that was damaged years ago.

“We see the ramifications of this damage later,” explains Thomas A. Donohue, MD, Medical Director of St. Joseph’s/Candler’s Center for Hyperbarics and Wound Care in Savannah and Hinesville. “The cells are less healthy, there is more scar tissue and less blood flow. Internal and external wounds may develop in the areas radiated and fail to heal.”

Radiation therapy is more advanced and precise than ever before, so not all cancer patients experience soft tissue changes from treatment. But for those that do, Dr. Donohue can offer a non-invasive option: hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

“Hyperbaric oxygen decreases inflammation, kills bacteria, and helps the body build new blood vessels to get more oxygen and nutrition,” Dr. Donohue says.” “Basically, all of this brings more soldiers to the fight to aid in healing.”

Dr. Donohue explains other conditions can be treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2024/100-percent-oxygen

07/27/2025

The SmartWomen Dazzling Diamond Dig is back! Get your tickets now for a chance to win two beautiful pieces of jewelry from Harkleroad Diamonds & Fine Jewelry.

Buy tickets here: https://www.sjchs.org/about-us/foundations/foundations-events/smartwomen/smartwomen-diamond-dig

For just $25, you can be entered into a drawing for a beautiful flex white 14 karat bangle bracelet with 2.98 round diamonds and a 1.15 carat natural pear shape G-H S1 diamond in a 14 karat white gold pendant. Total value: $11,550.

The drawing will take October 10, 2025, as part of the SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo. You do not have to be present to win. The event raises money for the Mammography Fund at Telfair Pavilion, to provide programs, services and capital support for mammography related initiatives that benefit appropriately qualified patients who are uninsured or underinsured.

For more about this year's SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo, visit https://www.sjchs.org/about-us/foundations/foundations-events/smartwomen/

07/25/2025

Pressure injuries, commonly known as pressure ulcers or bedsores, can happen at home to people who have a limited ability to change positions, but they can also happen to patients with longer hospital stays.Any bony prominence can cause a pressure injury, but they commonly occur in places like the heels, ankles and hips.

"All of the nurses here are educated on pressure injury risk assessment," explains Grecia Luna BSN, RN, CWON with Inpatient Wound Care at St. Joseph’s/Candler. "It is part of what we call a pressure injury prevention care bundle. Every two hours, nurses will help any patient turn in their bed if they cannot do it themselves."

Learn what nurses do for a patient who has a pressure injury or is at high risk for one at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2023/ask-a-magnet-nurse

07/24/2025

Smoking is still the highest risk factor for developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD. For non-smokers, occupational dust and chemical exposures, as well as indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure, contribute to a higher risk. Genetically, individuals who lack the ability to produce a lung protective protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin are also at greater risk for the disease.

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2024/clearing-the-air-on-copd

07/23/2025

Heat rash, also known as prickly heat or miliaria rubra, is common in children but can affect adults too, especially in a hot and humid climate. When sweat is trapped in folds of skin or by clothing and is unable to evaporate, it causes small, reddish bumps to form. These bumps can often be intensely itchy.

But you must resist the urge to scratch.

“Scratching can cause further irritation, and even infection or scarring,” warns Jerrod Anderson, MD, of St. Joseph’s/Candler Primary Care in Richmond Hill at Heartwood. Luckily, moving to a cool spot indoors, removing or replacing items of clothing and allowing the sweat to escape and evaporate can clear most heat rashes fairly quickly. If it doesn’t, it might be time to make an appointment.

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/smart-living-magazine/july-august-2025/doctor's-orders

07/22/2025

Second-year students at the Medical College of Georgia – Savannah Campus stopped by The Children's House today with a very special offer: to give the children's teddy bears and other stuffies a full check-up!

They invited the kids to join them and help with checking their teddies' eyes, ears, and bodies to make sure everything was A-OK. The kids had a blast and were happy to report clean bills of health all around.

"Our goal is to help children understand that medical visits don't have to be unfamiliar or scary," said Akshara Jayaraman, an MD candidate at MCG who organized the clinic. "This way, they get to join in and be caregivers too."

Many of the MCG students are hoping to specialize in pediatrics for their careers, so this gave them a chance to connect and communicate with children and to explain medical concepts in age-appropriate terms.

07/21/2025

There are some unique characteristics when it comes to prostate cancer.

If you get diagnosed with this disease, there are more options than ever. And, it’s not one size fits all. Each treatment can be different and is personalized for each individual patient.

“I always tell my prostate patients that it’s very unique when a patient goes to see a cancer doctor who tells them their options and then to go home, think about it, research it, maybe get another opinion, and then decide what you want to do,” says Dr. John Pablo, radiation oncologist and medical director of the Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion Radiation Oncology Center.

“My consultations with prostate cancer patients tend to be pretty long. I try to go over all the options, all the pros and cons,” Dr. Pablo says. “It’s more important to custom tailor the treatment options to each of our patients and allow them to make an informed choice based on what’s right for them.”

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/blogs/blog-detail/living-smart-blog/2024/06/20/you-ve-been-diagnosed-with-prostate-cancer.-now-what

07/21/2025

Shoulder injuries can occur for a variety of reasons. One we can’t control is age. If you are over 40, there’s a good chance you have some type of tear – whether big or small, painful or not – to the cartilage in your shoulders from natural use over the years.

You can also injure your shoulder doing overhead activities – for example, playing tennis – and overuse activities – such as repeated lifting on the job. Dr. Steven Greer with St. Joseph’s/Candler Physician Network – Bone, Joint & Muscle Care sees a lot of shoulder injuries in athletes, but also in certain occupations such as mechanics.

The thing about musculoskeletal injuries, Dr. Greer says, is that most are not emergencies, and nearly 80 percent of them don’t require surgery. However, that doesn’t mean you should live in pain. Shoulder injury pain varies from person to person depending on the degree of injury.

“A lot of times patients will have shoulder pain for years and don’t come see me until it keeps them from sleeping at night,” Dr. Greer says. “When it interferes with your sleep or overall quality of life, that’s when a lot of patients come in so we can help.”

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2023/02/21/shoulder-pain-you-don-t-have-to-live-with-it

07/20/2025

Tickets are on sale now for the 23rd annual SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo. To purchase a table or individual tickets, visit https://www.sjchs.org/about-us/foundations/foundations-events/smartwomen/smartwomen.

Hurry while they last!

This year's speaker is TV personality, designer and author Stacy London. Best known as the co-host of the iconic TLC show What Not To Wear, London was a regular correspondent on Today, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Access Hollywood, The View, and Rachael Ray for many years. Amazon has announced her new TV show with Clinton Kelly slated to air in 2025.

She served as the spokesperson for Pantene, Dr. Scholl’s, Lee Jeans, and Woolite. Her book, The Truth About Style, was a New York Times bestseller.

The SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo is an annual fundraiser for St. Joseph's/Candler's Mary Telfair Women's Hospital, which includes the Mammography Fund at Telfair Pavilion. The purpose of raising money for this fund is to provide programs, services and capital support for mammography related initiatives that benefit appropriately qualified patients who are uninsured or underinsured. The SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Telfair Mammography Fund to meet this goal since its inception over a decade ago.

The 22nd annual fundraiser raised a record amount of more than $248,000.

07/13/2025

Meet Kenneth Turner, PET technologist and team lead with the LCRP. Ken has worked here for almost 15 years. In fact, he helped start the PET imaging program at the LCRP. Day to day, Ken ensures all the equipment is working properly and is set up for each patient that comes in for an appointment. Most of these patients have cancer and receive molecular imaging. This allows technicians and doctors to use pharmaceuticals and imaging technology to determine whether or not a patient is responding to treatment. Ken may also run a PET scan on a patient years after cancer treatment to ensure no cancerous cells have returned.

“I really enjoy meeting the patients. I used to work in trauma, doing CT scans, and it was very fast paced. Here, I’m able to get to meet the patients and their families. I think because of the way medicine has advanced, patients are living longer and that means I get to see these patients over a longer period of time, over and over again. That is a blessing.”

“When I came here, I was given a great opportunity as a young technologist to help start this program. I don’t think very many people get that. I’m very appreciative that my director gave me that opportunity. I think it means a little more to you when you’re at the beginning of something, and then you get to watch it grow. I’m grateful I got that opportunity.”

Meet other LCRP co-workers on our website: https://www.sjchs.org/cancer/our-care/our-team/meet-our-co-workers

07/06/2025

If you or a loved one are diagnosed with a gynecological cancer, such as endometrial, cervical or vaginal cancer, there are several treatment options to help you get back to the things you love most.

If, for example, you are diagnosed with endometrial cancer, surgery is the preferred approach to treatment, says Dr. Joshua McKenzie, radiation oncologist at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion. For those that can’t have surgery, your healthcare team may recommend a combination of external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy or just brachytherapy. Your healthcare team may also recommend brachytherapy, external beam therapy and/or chemotherapy even after surgery to ensure the cancer is gone, Dr. McKenzie says.

“Basically, brachytherapy is Greek for short or close therapy. We put a radioactive source close to or within what we are treating,” Dr. McKenzie explains. “We’ve known for decades brachytherapy is critically important to treating certain gynecological cancers.”

More at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/blogs/blog-detail/living-smart-blog/2023/06/21/what-is-brachytherapy-for-gynecological-cancer-patients

06/29/2025

As a surgical oncologist, Dr. Leonard Henry hears it quite often, patients complaining about gas prices and having to drive all over the place to get cancer care.

It raised the question to Dr. Henry: Are gas prices, as well as other of the country’s economic factors, potential barriers to treatment? So he teamed up with four other surgeons from across the country and a professor at Notre Dame to do the research.

The group looked at more than 1,780,000 cases from 2004 to 2017 through the National Cancer Database, which accounts for about 70 percent of all cancer cases in America, says Dr. Henry, who also serves as the medical director for the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion.

More at https://www.sjchs.org/resource-hub/blogs/blog-detail/living-smart-blog/2023/06/12/study-inflation-gas-prices-may-force-some-patients-not-to-seek-optimal-treatment

06/26/2025

We are feeling really grateful today. A big shoutout to AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Georgia and South Carolina for teaming up and donating blankets and care packages to our patients in infusion and radiation therapy at our Bluffton and Hilton Head Island practices.

Our friend Bill from Subaru made the dropoffs yesterday and today. These special blankets (that also work as pillows) came with care packages that included fun gifts like coloring books to help patients pass the time. We truly hope these gifts bring comfort and show our patients how much we are all thinking of them and supporting their journey. Thank you for your kindness.

06/22/2025

Men, if you’re age 50 or older and of average risk for prostate cancer, you should get screened every one to two years.

Prostate cancer is a slow-growing but very common cancer in older men. As with every cancer, the earlier it's found, the better. This is why we preach screening. But let’s talk about risk first.

Men who are at high risk include: African-American men, those with a family member diagnosed with prostate cancer under the age of 60 or those with a known genetic mutation that confer risk of cancer (BRCA 1/2, Lynch syndrome).

For those at high risk, you should start screening between 40 to 45 years of age. Men of average risk should start screening at 50. You can get screened at your primary care office.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Medical Oncologist Dr. Ajaz Bulbul explains everything he looks for when analyzing the results of a prostate screening: https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2024/06/18/prostate-cancer-awareness-men-now-is-the-time-to-get-screened

06/15/2025

If you are one of the millions diagnosed with any type of skin cancer sometime during your lifetime, the good news is treating skin cancer is improving. There are many ways to treat skin cancer. It can be as simple as your dermatologist scrapping off a mole or a little more complex with surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, target therapy or radiation therapy, or maybe a combination of any of those modalities.

Most skin cancers start with surgery, especially melanomas, which are a rare type of skin cancer but also the deadliest. Radiation therapy can be used in combination with surgery or separate to treat most any type of skin cancer.

“We treat them after surgery if they are high risk of recurrence or if the tumor is really large, deeply penetrated within the skin or if it’s attached to a nerve,” says Radiation Oncologist Dr. John Pablo, medical director of the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion’s Radiation Oncology Center in Savannah, Bluffton and Hilton Head. “The other instance in non-melanoma skin cancers that we treat with radiation therapy is in patients that are not good candidates for surgery or if the cancer is in a place that would cause a fair amount of deficit with surgery, such as the eye, lip, nose or ear.”

More at https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2024/05/16/treating-skin-cancer-with-radiation-therapy

06/11/2025

A chronic or terminal diagnosis is a scary thing. It can conjure complex feelings, anxieties and life changes.

Now imagine you are a 10-year-old child watching your parent go through that.
Barbara Moss-Hogan is the oncology community social worker at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion. Her job includes coordinating our Howard Hand in Hand Program, which counsels children of parents who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, heart attack or stroke.

“I think this program is the best kept secret in town,” Moss-Hogan says. “The Howard Hand in Hand Program works with any child whose parent has a long-term, chronic illness. It doesn’t just have to be cancer.”

More at https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2025/06/10/howard-hand-in-hand-program-offers-families-a-helpful-hand-during-trying-times

06/08/2025

Meet Mugdha Devalkar, genetic counselor at the LCRP. Mugdha has worked here for two years and counsels’ patients with a personal and/or family history of cancer. In her role, she works with patients to assess inherited risks for cancer and provide guidance on whether genetic testing is appropriate in the context of personal and family health history. When genetic testing is indicated and a patient chooses to proceed, Mugdha guides them through every step from pre-test counseling to reviewing the results. For those found to be at increased risk, she offers education on enhanced screenings and connects them with resources including social workers, financial navigators, and risk-reduction specialists. Additionally, Mugdha helps mentor students who are training to become genetic counselors and delivers community lectures to raise awareness about genetics and cancer risk.

Mugdha has found a warm and inclusive environment at LCRP. “My coworkers are exceptionally polite, welcoming, and genuinely supportive, creating an environment where I feel truly seen and valued. We work together with a shared purpose, always uplifting one another to provide the best possible care for our patients”

“I became a genetic counselor because I wanted to support people during some of the most difficult times in their lives. I know I can’t take away what they are going through, but if I can make even a small part of the process easier and if there is one thing they don’t have to worry about because I’m there to help that means a lot to me. Every patient’s experience is unique, even if the diagnosis is the same, so it is important to meet each person where they are. The work is both intellectually engaging and deeply personal, and I find it meaningful to be there for patients when they need it most"

Meet other LCRP co-workers on our website: https://www.sjchs.org/cancer/our-care/our-team/meet-our-co-workers

06/06/2025

We kept the aloha theme going all week and throughout the region to celebrate our survivors. Here are photos of our caregivers in Bluffton, Hinesville, Hilton Head and Pembroke. We hope we brightened the day of everyone who came through our doors this week. To our survivors—your courage and strength inspires us all.

06/05/2025