With September being Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
There are certain qualities that locals love about Central Oregon: big city amenities with a small town feel and a young energetic vibe. The latest development in Bend’s healthcare scene represents all of those qualities. Dr. Emily Berry has recently moved back to her hometown after practicing gynecologic oncology at some of the most prestigious medical research and teaching centers in the nation: Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland and Northwestern University in Chicago.
And with her homecoming she has established Oregon’s first Gynecologic Oncology practice east of the Cascades, offering comprehensive care to women with uterine, ovarian, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers as well as women with a hereditary risk of gynecologic cancers.
Those who consider themselves Bend old-timers may recognize the Berry name in the medical community. Emily’s father, Dr. Douglas Berry, had a successful plastic surgery practice in Bend for over 25 years. Her mother Roberta Berry is a retired nurse who remains active in giving back to the community. Berry’s brothers, Michael and Christopher, both grew up in Bend as well.
With such strong community ties, it was difficult for Berry to ignore the calling inside her to return home and give back to the community that gave her so much growing up.
Berry’s specialty practice will mean that women with gynecologic cancers will no longer have to travel to Eugene or Portland, previously the only places in the state where gynecologic oncologists practice. And already patients are responding to this new convenience. She tells of one patient who just last week expressed her gratitude at not having to undergo cancer surgery in Eugene, far from her home and support system.
“Anything that reduces stress and allows the patient to be more focused on their health needs and less focused on the logistical challenges of traveling for treatment is positive for patient health and recovery,” says Berry.
Emily Berry MD began seeing patients in late July and has already enjoyed the chance to serve many women from Central and Eastern Oregon including Bend, Warm Springs, John Day and Lakeview. Caring for women with gynecologic cancer requires a team approach and Berry has been repeatedly impressed with the caliber of staff at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend and the area physicians with whom she has interacted.
“The medical community here in Bend has all the ingredients to offer excellent gynecologic cancer care. I am really happy to be a part of this community and to bring my specialty to a previously under-served area of the State.”
As a gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Berry’s scope of practice includes both surgery and chemotherapy. She performs robotic surgery in addition to other traditional surgical approaches. Berry’s practice is conveniently located adjacent to St. Charles Medical Center at the East Cascade Professional Building, 2400 NE Neff Rd, Suite B. She welcomes both new cancer patients and those who have already been treated for cancer but require on-going follow up.
Coming full circle, Berry has set uppractice in the very building where her father practiced medicine for 10 years. “I would be lying if I didn’t acknowledge what a privilege it is to be back in my hometown, practicing in my dad’s former space, benefiting from so many family, friends and colleagues who have helped me make this longtime dream a reality.”
2400 NE Neff Rd., Suite B, Bend, OR 97701, 541-323-4930, www.dremilyberry.com
