You don’t usually find a leading bone marrow transplant (BMT) program outside academic medical centers. Roper St. Francis Healthcare is an outlier.
Not only is Roper St. Francis a community hospital system with renowned physicians and a state-of-the-art BMT program and facility. Its patient outcomes also regularly top those at much bigger institutions.
“Our survival rate for multiple myeloma, for example, is 10% better than the national registry,” says George Geils Jr., MD, Medical Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Roper St. Francis.
Dr. Geils established the program in 1996, and recent additions to the team and a complete redesign of the dedicated BMT unit means Roper St. Francis can serve more patients more effectively. One thing that hasn’t changed: A dogged commitment to every patient who comes through the door.
“We designed our BMT program to provide both the most advanced and most attentive care possible. The experience and outcomes of our patients show how valuable that approach is,” says Dr. Geils.
Continuity of care throughout a patient’s journey
At most institutions offering BMT, patients see a rotating cast of teams and doctors over the course of induction and treatment. That lack of continuity adds stress and alienation to what is already an extremely difficult experience.
Avoiding that pattern is the main reason Brian Greenwell, MD, joined Roper St. Francis in 2024, after more than a decade training and practicing at high-volume BMT centers, including Emory University and MUSC.
“Here I have the opportunity to meet the highest clinical standards and provide more personalized care to each patient,” he says. “I never have to spend time catching up on a patient because it’s the first time I’m seeing them. I’m by their side the whole way.”
The ability to adapt to individual needs
The BMT unit at Roper St. Francis offers the latest imaging and operating equipment — but its main superpower may be the ability to offer outpatient and inpatient care in the same room. The team takes advantage of this often, as many patients come in for blood transfusions or other outpatient care but present with a fever or other symptoms that require monitoring.
“Our nurses can flip the visit from outpatient to inpatient without moving the patient to a new location or care team. It’s seamless,” says Dr. Greenwell.
Since the same nurses care for all patients — inpatient or outpatient — they’re intimately familiar with every case. They can tell when someone isn’t feeling right and can respond right away or share insights with the physicians.
“We have some of the highest-functioning nurses I have ever met. Everyone here sets the standard in terms of skill and commitment,” Dr. Greenwell says.
Example case: Protecting a patient with leukemia and a high risk of relapse
The team’s skill and commitment came through for one recent patient, a male in his 50s who initially presented with respiratory distress, night sweats and other worrying symptoms.
Dr. Greenwell and team acted quickly after the referral, removing fluid from the patient’s lungs and heart and getting a bone marrow biopsy. The results confirmed he had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or T-ALL.
Five months of chemotherapy brought the patient to remission — but T-ALL has a one in five chance of recurring, and the survival rate after relapse is poor.
“His best chance at a cure was getting new stem cells that produce healthy lymphocytes,” Dr. Greenwell explains.
Dr. Greenwell performed an allogeneic transplant, with a donor from the patient’s family. After transplant, the patient had a very minor case of graft-versus-host disease, treated with topical steroids and adjustments to his immunosuppressants.
“Three months later, his graft is functioning well. No evidence of relapse. No infections or other complications. Exactly the outcome we aim for with every patient,” Dr. Greenwell says.
How to refer
Epic:
Referrals can also be made through EpicCare link
Call or Fax Referrals:
Downtown, Mount Pleasant & West Ashley Locations
Phone: (843) 402-1409
Fax: (843) 606-8731
Online:
charlestononcology.com/referring-physicians
Our team works to simplify scheduling and get patients from referral to diagnostics to care as quickly as possible. We can typically see your patients within 72 hours of referral.