Published 09/18/2024

As seen in the September 3 edition of the Westerly Sun

Since June, I have been on a medical leave of absence from my position as a doctor at South County Health’s Cancer Center. The good news is that I am targeting a return to work as a practicing doctor at South County Health’s Cancer Center in mid-October. I miss the South County Health community, and even more so, my patients. As I anxiously look forward to my return, I write this letter to emphasize not only my commitment to delivering care to my patients and to the community, but also to express my intention to help lead South County Health’s Cancer Center through its transition to a new team of providers.

During my medical leave, unfortunately, three of my colleagues put in their resignations, and this has put great strain and uncertainty on the patients that we are so honored to care for. I can promise the community that the resignations are obviously not something South County Health wanted to occur. We are aligned in the goal of providing the highest quality of care to our patients. Unfortunately, in making the hard decisions necessary to carry on South County Health’s mission, a divergence of perspectives on how best to accomplish this goal, along with acute coverage challenges, occurred, which created an untenable situation for my colleagues.

As a hematology-oncology doctor, I believe it is an honor to work at South County Health’s Cancer Center, which is one of the most pleasant and caring facilities I have ever had the pleasure to work. South County Health is the gem of this community, and I can assure you South County Health still has and maintains a positive effect like no other health system in the region. Staff, providers, and administrators alike put patients at the center of every decision they make. The level of dedication to patient care is unsurpassed, and it is the reason why South County Health continues to earn distinctions as one of the most awarded health systems in the region.

I know the impact of losing a provider can have on patients, but please rest assured that South County Health and I are committed to not only offering, but growing comprehensive cancer care in the community, as this remains critical to our mission of being Rhode Island’s most trusted health partner. We believe it is imperative for patients to have access to comprehensive cancer care in a community-based setting, which has been shown to offer more personalized care options and have the ability to improve quality outcomes. I look forward to partnering with our new hematology-oncology doctors, which join us with decades of experience from some of the best cancer centers in the region, in providing the same high-quality care that you have come to expect from South County Health’s Cancer Center.

More information about these physicians can be found on South County Health’s“Doctors” webpage.

Christopher Seidler