For many people, a new year motivates commitments to continuing goals and ambitions. And at PeaceHealth United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley, the commitment to specialized cancer care services also continues evolving to greater heights.
Recently, the hospital’s Cancer Center welcomed two new permanent oncology providers: medical oncologist Dr. Navdeep Sangha and oncology Nurse Practitioner Katie Kennedy. Both providers will keep weekly hours at the cancer center, open Monday through Friday.
Tami Gilbert, the cancer center’s clinical nurse manager, says transitioning from temporary to permanent oncology providers is a huge boost for the center’s continuity of care. For the last two years, several different temporary oncologists have provided care.
“Having that stability is so exciting,” Gilbert says. “I think it’s a chance for our patients to get back to being able to build that relationship with their provider. Cancer care is a very personal journey, and the stakes are very high. Being able to build that relationship with Katie and Dr. Sangha will be fabulous for our patients.”
Welcoming Dr. Sangha to United General
Navdeep Sangha comes from a family of berry farmers in Abbotsford, British Columbia, but his decision to pursue medicine stems in-part from an interest in teaching. It also came from a family cancer experience.
Undergraduate education in cellular biology at the University of British Columbia led to thoughts of getting a master’s in education, but near the end of his time at UBC, his then 47-year-old mother was diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
“It kind of just shattered the family to hear the word ‘cancer,’” he recalls. “We didn’t really know how to deal with it.”
Sangha felt a need to do something productive in the face of his mother’s diagnosis, to understand what she was going through. So he combined that with his interest in science and enrolled in medical school at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York.
His mother did not live to see his graduation from medical school, passing away in 2016 at age 49. Sangha continued his journey to becoming a doctor, spending a number of years on the East Coast, including as a chief resident at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. He developed particular interest in hematology (blood-based disease), as well as breast, thoracic and gastrointestinal cancers.
Sangha describes his care philosophy as based in patient autonomy.
“I don’t view my job as somebody who says, ‘this is the treatment because it’s the treatment, and therefore you’re getting treated with it,’” Sangha says. “The job is to educate my patients, to make sure they understand what’s going on, what their options are, and then allow them to match up those options with what makes the most sense for them.”
Beginning his work at United General late in 2024, Sangha said he is impressed with the quality of care – both medically and socially – that the Skagit-based center provides to local residents.
“It just feels like such a great community,” he says. “I feel like I have this army of dedicated, competent nurses and support staff who are just there to make sure patients are properly cared for and I have everything I need as a physician.”
Now 34, Sangha is married with a young son, and recently sought a return to the West Coast. In taking a position with PeaceHealth, he and his family are again closer to existing family in the Pacific Northwest. Outside of patient care, Sangha enjoys writing, cooking and spending time on his family’s berry farm in Everson.
Welcoming Nurse Practitioner Katie Kennedy to United General
Kennedy joined PeaceHealth in September 2023, moving to Bellingham with her husband and two young boys from Florida, where she practiced for more than a decade in clinical and hospital settings.
The 34-year-old nurse practitioner says that patient-centered education is a key component of her care philosophy. Taking the time to properly explain things, she adds, can go a long way toward alleviating some of the often-overwhelming stress and anxiety that a cancer diagnosis and treatment plan brings.
“I want to talk to patients on their level, breaking down the pieces individually about what’s happening,” she says. “I’m going to treat my patients the same way I would my own family members. And if that includes extra time to explain the nitty-gritty of their disease or treatment plan, then I’m going to take that time.”
The small size of both United General and the overall community allows providers and patients to often be on a first-name basis, Kennedy adds.
“They feel like more than a number,” she says. “There are certain advantages, having that sort of care environment, that appeal to a lot of people. It just feels friendlier and less clinical, and I think that’s an important piece that United General uniquely provides in our region.”
When not treating patients, Kennedy enjoys time with her family and in the outdoors, hiking and kayaking, among other recreation.
LINAC Coming This Spring
In April, United General’s Cancer Center will welcome its latest technological advancement: a new medical linear accelerator for external beam radiation therapy.
The new linear accelerator, or LINAC, will provide the most accurate form of radiation available, narrowly targeting cancer cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissues. The new machine will also provide several procedures United General previously could not accommodate, including brain-based radiation therapy.
“We’re very excited to upgrade,” Gilbert says. “It will offer the latest and greatest radiation therapy technology available in the region.”
The new LINAC machine is the same model found at Bellingham’s PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, meaning that if any technical issue rendered United General’s LINAC machine temporarily unusable, patients could simply go to Bellingham and maintain the important timeliness of their radiation sessions.
Finally, the cancer center is continuing to enhance its overall look, with recent cosmetic upgrades like new paint and flooring. Additional expansions are planned in the next couple of years.
All in all, Gilbert says the enhanced level of cancer care at United General is something its providers and caregivers are deeply proud of.
“We’re a pretty rural community with underserved populations,” she says. “So to be able to offer the kind of specialized cancer care services we have here – the same services that you could get at a larger center – is amazing for our patients.”
Learn more at the PeaceHealth United General Medical Center website.
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