SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Patients in western Nebraska now have increased access to the region’s most advanced cancer care, thanks to an enhanced partnership between Regional West Health Services and UCHealth.

The expanded partnership between Regional West and UCHealth will provide medical oncology physicians to practice full-time at Regional West and live in the Scottsbluff/Gering communities. Regional West and UCHealth currently have a similar model for the Cardiology clinic in Scottsbluff. 

“This partnership is very important and reaffirms our commitment to providing exceptional healthcare services to our community and throughout the region," said John Mentgen, FACHE, president and CEO of Regional West Health Services. “Expanding our relationship with UCHealth for services in Scottsbluff and western Nebraska helps ensure that our patients receive advanced, high-quality care with excellent outcomes.”

UCHealth, a 12-hospital system based in Aurora, Colorado, has partnered with Regional West since 2007 when Medical Center of the Rockies (MCR) in Loveland, Colorado, opened. UCHealth Medical Group provides a full-time cardiologist at Regional West and will now expand to add full-time oncologists in the immediate future.

“Collaboration with UCHealth and its physicians complements and enhances the services Regional West’s cancer program offers. Providing comprehensive patient care services close to home is very important to our patients and their families,” said Vincent Bjorling, MD, Regional West Cancer Services medical director.

The new partnership expands and enhances access to cancer care services. Patients will continue to receive the same high quality, patient-centered care they currently receive at Regional West. The patient’s care team may also confer with specialty providers at other UCHealth locations to discuss a diagnosis and collaborate to determine a comprehensive treatment plan. Regional West will also continue its partnership with the UCHealth University of Colorado Cancer Center, which provides access to clinical trials and advanced surgeries and treatments.

“With this enhanced relationship, patients will have more access to cancer services in western Nebraska as well as specialists with UCHealth Medical Group. Our goal is to provide seamless care coordination, so patients have convenience along with the very best care and outcomes,” said Michael Randle, MD, FACP, UCHealth Medical Group CEO.

About Regional West Health Services

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers, and approximately 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

About UCHealth 

UCHealth is an innovative, nonprofit health system that delivers the highest quality medical care with an excellent patient experience. UCHealth includes 26,000 employees, 12 acute-care full-service hospitals and hundreds of physicians across Colorado, southern Wyoming and western Nebraska. With University of Colorado Hospital on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus as its academic anchor and the only adult academic medical center in the region, UCHealth is dedicated to providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. Offering more than 150 clinic locations, UCHealth pushes the boundaries of medicine, providing advanced treatments and clinical trials and improving health through innovation