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<p>HAZLETON &#8212; Northeastern Pennsylvania cancer patients who choose to use Lehigh Valley Health Network for oncology needs no longer have to drive to Allentown to receive care. LVHN held a ribbon cutting ceremony and public open house at its new Cancer Center &#8212; Hazleton on Oct. 1.</p><p>Three members of the Lehigh Valley Physician Group will practice on-site at the 6,600 sq. ft. facility: doctors Michael Evans, Harvey Hotchner and Thomas Lyons. These hematology oncology providers will have access to nine infusion chairs and eight examination rooms, and the facility itself will feature an on-site pharmacy.</p><p>&#8220;I was recruited to this area by the Lehigh Valley Health Network because there were a lot of patients from the Hazleton area traveling to Allentown,&#8221; Evans said. &#8220;The need for local oncologists was, I think, pretty clear right off the bat. I think the support of the network and the excitement behind everything going into the facility is what made me want to come here.&#8221;</p><p>The facility will offer chemotherapy, transfusions, therapeutic infusions and injections, along with nutritional counseling and financial coordinators. LVHN Cancer Center&#8212;Hazleton also features a real-time audio and video link to the network&#8217;s main location in Allentown that allows oncologists in Hazleton to remotely consult their colleagues while planning patient treatment regiments.</p><p>&#8220;When we want to present a case we set it up and get input from their radiation oncologist, surgical oncologist, pathologist and diagnostics,&#8221; Hotchner said. &#8220;They&#8217;ll show everything over there and get opinions on what they think the best treatment is.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re integrated within the Lehigh Valley Health Network and we have frequent conversations and access to the team down there,&#8221; Evans added. &#8220;We&#8217;re essentially an extension to what they have to offer in medical oncology. We&#8217;re bringing almost everything in Allentown that&#8217;s non-trial up here to patients in Hazleton.&#8221;</p><p>Cancer Center patients can benefit from the network&#8217;s recent collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. MSK is a 130-year-old private cancer center that will offer its expertise&#8212;including clinical trials and discoveries in cancer research&#8212;to LVHN patients and physicians. This partnership will go into practice starting early 2016.</p><p>LVHN Cancer Center&#8212;Hazleton is part of the nationally-recognized Lehigh Valley Health Network and has five hospital campuses, including one in Hazleton, 13 health centers and numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Doctors Michael Evans (left) and Harvey Hotchner talk about services offered at the new Lehigh Valley Health Network Cancer Center in Hazleton. The new facility on the Airport Beltway in Hazleton celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_lvhn012.jpg</photo0><caption0>Doctors Michael Evans (left) and Harvey Hotchner talk about services offered at the new Lehigh Valley Health Network Cancer Center in Hazleton. The new facility on the Airport Beltway in Hazleton celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_lvhn022.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Lehigh Valley Health Network Cancer Center in Hazleton. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_lvhn022.jpg</photo1><caption1>The Lehigh Valley Health Network Cancer Center in Hazleton. </caption1><photoCredit1>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Gene Axton</p><p>gaxton@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6121 or on Twitter @TLArts</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Lehigh Valley Health Networks opens cancer center on Hazleton’s airport beltway