Frank Severson is in his 80s and has lived in Heber City since 1962. He’s had skin cancers for 40 years. When he went to see his dermatologist recently, they checked a spot on his leg and it was diagnosed as melanoma. He had an MRI and a PET scan, and they found cancer spots in his brain, lung and kidney, so it’s now considered metastatic melanoma.
Frank lives four miles from Heber Valley Hospital and he was happy to learn he could receive much of his cancer care right there in Heber. He goes in every three weeks for an infusion at Heber Valley Hospital and the infusion nurse does a physical exam. So far, he’s had three infusion treatments. He also does TeleHealth visits with his oncologist, Dr. David Gill.
“I don’t want to come to Salt Lake if I don’t have to. And I’ve been going to Heber Valley Hospital since it opened,” said Frank Severson.
“I haven’t met Dr. Gill in person, but the TeleHealth visits work really well. I can see him and talk to him, and it saves me 2-3 hours of driving time every time I have a visit or for an infusion. The infusion staff at Heber Valley are the best, and I vote for them 100 percent,” he added.
Frank has been retired for more than 20 years. He was a power plant operator in Provo Canyon.
“I started work early and retired early,” he said.
Frank is married and has three children, seven grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren he enjoys spending time with. He feels well enough on the weeks in between his infusions, to do some traveling. He and his wife recently got back from a trip to South Dakota to see some buffalo.
Intermountain offers a whole range of cancer care. From early detection to treatment, Intermountain oncologists and specialists can collaborate with local caregivers to provide individualized support and medically-advanced care via video technology, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances to receive cancer care.
Intermountain Cancer Services offers cutting edge clinical trials, skilled surgeons, and sub-specialty expertise at larger hospitals, as well as providers who are dedicated to making the patient journey as seamless and convenient as possible through Intermountain’s TeleHealth and outreach networks.
Intermountain has 15 Cancer Center locations from Burley, ID to St. George, UT. Infusions and other cancer treatments can be treated at some smaller hospitals such as Heber Valley Hospital. Through the TeleHealth oncology service, patients can be screened, receive their care plan, treatment, and recovery – all close to home.
For more information visit intermountainhealthcare.org.
