Compassion, Comprehensive Care Made the Albany Med Health System First Choice for Cancer Patient

As a mother of three, wife, and educator, Megan Willis had plenty on her plate when she detected a lump in her breast in January 2020. At the same time she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her mother, Marne, was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Willis, who lives in South Glens Falls, was admitted to Glens Falls Hospital to have her tumor removed by surgeon Steven Scalia, MD. Two days later, her mother, who was a comfort care patient at the hospital only a couple of floors away, passed away. Willis said the thoughtfulness of the nursing staff, who kept in close contact with her knowing that she couldn’t visit, was deeply touching. She was reassured knowing that people who cared were there for her mom when she needed them.

As Willis began her long road to recovery, she sought a second opinion from Memorial Sloan Kettering, one of the most prestigious cancer centers in the country. The choice on where to receive her care became clear to her.

“I knew the C.R. Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital was the place to go,” Willis said. “They had the treatment and support options I needed, close to home.” The Center is part of the Albany Med Health System and is located at one of four System hospitals that treat cancer patients.

Today, Willis is cancer free and feels incredibly blessed to have received such high-level and compassionate care.

“The staff who cared for me are the best in the business,” said Willis, an integrated English education teacher with the BOCES Career & Technical Education program in Saratoga. “They fought alongside me, and I’ll always be grateful for their love and support.”