ROCKPORT and BELFAST — “Cancer patients do best when they receive care close to home and without interruption,” said Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital, in a news release. “The recent addition of two oncologists at Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital underscores the hospitals’ commitment to ensuring that both conditions can be met for cancer patients in Knox and Waldo counties.”

Sigrid Berg, MD, MPH, the former medical director of cancer care at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, joined WCGH earlier this fall.

Roger Inhorn, MD, PhD, the former medical director of the cancer care practice at Maine Medical Center and the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network, joined PBMC full-time this month.

“We’ve had a number of long-time cancer care providers retire recently, and the addition of these two oncologists, who bring an incredible breadth of experience, ensures a continuity of care for our cancer patients,” said Mark Fourré, MD, president of PBMC and WCGH. “It also underscores our commitment to providing the very best cancer care right here in our communities. This is important because we know that cancer patients who receive treatment close to where they live do better than those who must endure the fatigue and stress of traveling for care.”

The notion of providing care close to home has been a driving force in the career of Dr. Inhorn, who joined the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network (MCCN) three years ago and has served as its medical director ever since.
Before the network came into being, patients sometimes traveled long distances to Portland and Boston for common cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Dr. Inhorn helped to build a network of 300 cancer care providers that is able to identify the best treatment opportunities for patients close to where they live.

“A person diagnosed with cancer might still need to see a surgeon at Maine Medical Center in Portland but then we can connect them to the Oncology and Infusion Therapy department at PBMC for chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence,” Dr. Inhorn said. “In this example, the power of the network is to make the transition from surgery to chemotherapy seamless so that the patient can focus on their health.”

Dr. Inhorn said it has been gratifying to build the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network but that he is ready to hand off the administrative role and return to what he loves most – providing direct care to patients.

“The opportunity to do that at PBMC is tremendous,” he said. “I get to stay in the network, which I helped to build, and I get to care for patients in a community where I hope to spend the rest of my life.”

Like Dr. Inhorn, Dr. Berg brings years of experience to her new role at WCGH. In addition to serving as medical director of Northern Light Cancer Care since 2019, she has worked directly with cancer patients since joining Northern Light in 2008.

Dr. Berg said she is excited to join WCGH and be a part of the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network because her goal in treating patients has always been to accommodate the specific circumstances of their lives.

“For me, medicine is about relationships and understanding a patient’s goals,” Dr. Berg said. “I appreciate that it can be difficult for patients to explore some treatment options – for example, someone might not be able to drive down to Portland for a consultation due to an underlying medical, financial, or family issue. Just looking at a chart and talking to patients about their illness isn’t enough. You have to talk about their lives and their goals to make sure their treatment plan is going to work for them.”

Dr. Berg is accepting new patients by referral. To learn more about Dr. Berg and cancer care at WCGH, please go to mainehealth.org/Waldo-oncology or call 505-4163.

Dr. Inhorn is accepting new patients by referral. To learn more about Dr. Inhorn and cancer care at PBMC, please go to mainehealth.org/pen-bay-oncology or call 301-8969.

To learn more about how the hospitals have created a safe space for patients, go to mainehealth.org/coronavirus-covid-19/safe-appointments.

About Pen Bay Medical Center

Pen Bay Medical Center is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit pbmc.org.

Waldo County General Hospital

Waldo County General Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit wcgh.org.