Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital expands medical staff

Washington University medical oncologist Alex Politsmakher, MD, and radiation oncologist Stephanie Perkins, MD, have joined the medical staff of Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital.

Nurse manager Kelly Tschannen, RN, BSN, OCN, also recently joined Siteman-St. Peters.

Located at Mexico Road and BJC St. Peters Drive in St. Peters (map), Siteman-St. Peters provides access to advanced radiation, infusion and surgery treatments and technology. This includes access to more than 350 therapeutic clinical trials, which are potentially helpful therapies not widely available elsewhere.

“U.S. News & World Report recognizes Siteman Cancer Center as a national leader in cancer treatment,” said Politsmakher, an assistant professor of medicine at Washington University. “I’m honored to join such an experienced, committed team of physicians, nurses and other medical professionals.”

Perkins also sees patients at Siteman Cancer Center’s main location at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis. She said she welcomes the opportunity to offer the same nationally ranked care closer to patients in St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln and surrounding counties.

Click here for a video tour of Siteman-St. Peters.

Siteman’s parent institutions, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, opened the St. Peters location in 2005. Other Siteman facilities are in Creve Coeur and south St. Louis County.

Politsmakher earned his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in medicine fellowships in geriatrics and hematology/oncology at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. His research has been published by the American Journal of Medicine, and he has presented research at meetings of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Perkins, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Washington University, earned her medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. She completed her residency in radiation oncology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and her research has been published by the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, PLOS (Public Library of Science) ONE and the Journal of Cancer Survivorship.

“Drs. Politsmakher and Perkins are great additions to our team, and I look forward to working with them to continue providing the most innovative, advanced care available for our patients,” said Lannis Hall, MD, medical director of radiation oncology at Siteman-St. Peters. “Kelly Tschannen rounds out an excellent group of medical professionals focused on outstanding patient care.”

Tschannen manages the medical oncology clinic practice and infusion center, providing day-to-day leadership, supervision and coordination of patient-care staff and patient treatment. She is a graduate of the former Barnes Hospital School of Nursing and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Hall earned her medical degree from Howard University. She completed her medical residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in radiation oncology.

Other physicians at Siteman-St. Peters are: medical oncologists Alex Denes, MD; Michael Naughton, MD; Caron Rigden, MD; and Mark Schroeder, MD; thoracic surgeon Varun Puri, MD; and breast surgeon Amy Cyr, MD. All are Washington University physicians. Diane Foglesong, BS, RT(T) is the radiation oncology manager.

Other recent changes include the addition of free, one-on-one counseling for patients and family members. Teresa Deshields, PhD, leads the team of licensed psychologists at Siteman-St. Peters. Support groups also are available for patients and family members ages 4 and up.

For more information about therapies, services and programs at Siteman-St. Peters, visit www.siteman.wustl.edu/stpeters.aspx, or call 636-916-9920. To make an appointment, call 314-747-3046 or toll-free 877-251-6485 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Siteman Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Missouri, is ranked among the top cancer facilities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Comprising the cancer research, prevention and treatment programs of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, Siteman also is Missouri’s only member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.