Clinical Component

Navigating the Clinical Component

Clinical scope

This is a community-based oncology practice that sees the full spectrum of cases. You would treat all major cancer types, including breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and hematologic malignancies, and manage treatment plans across chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy. If you have a particular interest, GI-heavy cases can be routed to you. New patient consultations and follow-ups make up the bulk of the day, with treatment planning shared across the team.

Daily workflow

A representative day:

Time Activity
7:00 AM inpatient rounds, using the tunnel to the hospital
9:00 to 9:30 AM clinic begins
12:00 to 1:00 PM lunch
Around 3:30 PM last patient
Around 5:00 PM home

Fridays are light and usually finished by noon, which opens time for administrative work or short follow-ups. Procedure rooms are available for bone marrow biopsies if you perform them. Telehealth and occasional outreach are available if you want to incorporate them.

Cancer center and clinical infrastructure

Medical oncology, radiation oncology, imaging, lab, and pharmacy sit in the same 24,000 square foot building.

Medical oncology:

  • 30-chair infusion suite, including two private rooms
  • On-site pharmacy that mixes all chemotherapy in-house
  • On-site lab, with labs drawn in the building

Radiation oncology:

  • Located directly across the hall from medical oncology
  • On-site dosimetry and physics
  • Current Varian Edge system for radiosurgery and conventional radiation
  • Planned $5 million investment for a new radiation machine in the next two to three years

Imaging:

  • On-site X-ray at the center
  • PET/CT in the main hospital radiology department (south tower), with PET expanded from about 1.5 to three days per week

Additional services in the building:

  • Genetic counseling suite with an on-site counselor
  • Dietary and nutrition support
  • Palliative care clinic
  • Hospice partnership through Benefis
  • On-site cancer registry
  • Late-phase clinical trials (Phase III and IV), which give patients additional options without travel

Tumor boards and collaboration

Two tumor boards meet each week:

  • Breast Tumor Board, Wednesdays at 7:00 AM
  • General Tumor Board, Fridays at 7:00 AM

Attendance is encouraged rather than required and draws medical oncology, pathology, radiology, surgery, and plastic surgery, along with Great Falls Clinic providers and several retired community physicians who stay engaged. You would also work closely with the two radiation oncologists to coordinate combined treatment when appropriate.

Transfers and tertiary care

Certain complex cases, such as acute leukemias, are transferred. Common destinations are Seattle, University of Utah, Mayo Clinic, and MD Anderson. Transfer decisions follow disease type, clinical needs, and patient preference. A visiting gynecologic oncologist from University of Utah provides additional support to the group.

Call coverage

Call runs on a community model shared across two Benefis medical oncologists, two Great Falls Clinic medical oncologists, and one per diem physician. The rotation is 1 in 5 today and moves to 1 in 6 once a new physician joins.

  • Weekdays: you take call for your own patients
  • Weekends: Friday 5:00 PM to Monday 8:00 AM, with rounding on all inpatient oncology patients Saturday and Sunday

A hospitalist team manages daily medical care, while medical oncologists round and place oncology-specific orders. Inpatient oncology nursing is strong, and hospitalist support reduces unnecessary calls, so the call burden is described as low.

Support team

Beyond the physicians and APPs, the department includes OCN-certified infusion nurses, nurse navigators, genetic counselors, a dietician, social workers, financial counselors, care navigators, and clinical research staff who support the late-phase trials.

Schedule flexibility

The group can consider adjusted schedules based on physician preference, including potential part-time or job-sharing arrangements. Administrative time is allocated for tumor boards, care planning, and related tasks.

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