Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation

Having cancer is always life-changing for patients, their family, and their close community. We at Northern Marianas Oncology Center promise to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art cancer care for our patients, with the twin goals of improving quality of life and length of life. When it’s possible to cure the patient’s cancer, we’ll put forth every effort to maximize the chance of cure.

Northern Marianas Oncology Center Team:
Peter Brett, MD, Medical Oncologist
Joel Smith, MD, Internist
John Tudela, MD, Internist
Alex Johanson, PA
Salome Castro, Oncology RN
Angela David, RN
Maria Priest, Oncology CNA
Mary Quinn Rozkydal, RN, Clinic Manager
Kelvilynn Toves, Clinical Attendant
Miki Kim, Financial Counselor
Tasia Sablan, Patient Access Registrar II

Dr. Brett spoke about cancer in the Live Doc Talk series. Click here to watch the recording.

Services

Review of tissue biopsies (with our pathologists) to make sure the diagnosis of cancer and what type of cancer the patient has is correct
Advanced molecular analysis of tissue biopsies that can allow for targeted treatments.
Advanced imaging with CT scans, ultrasound, and plain films to “stage” a patient’s cancer, and determine how the cancer is responding to treatment
Thorough patient histories and careful exams of patients to understand how the cancer developed, how it’s affecting the patient, and to assess for possible complications of the cancer or treatment.
We try to understand the patient’s social situation, and how that will affect the patient’s understanding of the cancer and how treatment may affect them.
State-of-the-art outpatient treatment right here at CHCC. We will treat a patient’s cancer with medications, when appropriate, with the goals to cure the cancer, shrink the cancer to improve quality of life, or prevent cancer from returning (relapsing), with:
- The most advanced chemotherapy treatment available.
- The most advanced oral treatment targeted to cancer mutations available.
- The most advanced immunotherapy treatment and treatment combinations available (stimulating the patient’s immune system to attack the cancer).
Nutritional and healthy lifestyle counseling.
Coordination of care with CHCC surgeons, when surgery is appropriate.
Referral to off-island radiation and specialty surgeons when appropriate, and coordination of care with off-island specialists.
Comprehensive follow-up care after cancer treatment, including blood testing and imaging when appropriate.
Oncology nursing team support.
Advanced pharmacist team support.
Access to the hospital and hospitalist team for clinical problems that cannot be treated as an outpatient.
Satellite Cancer Clinics alternating monthly in Rota and Tinian (for office visits only, not treatment).
Benign hematology (blood) problems: The cancer team will also evaluate patients who have complex hematologic (blood) problems, even if there’s no concern that the patient has a cancer.