Cancer care in Poulsbo offers patients a choice

POULSBO — When Bruce Barto started his treatment for prostate cancer about four years ago, he had a long daily slog ahead of him.

The Allyn retiree travelled four hours, round trip, five days a week for seven weeks straight.

This included a ride on the hour-long Bremerton ferry and a hike up First Hill.

“It was a very difficult commute,” Barto said, saying his real description of the daily trips couldn’t be printed in a newspaper.

But with the recent location of two cancer treatment centers in Poulsbo, including the Peninsula Cancer Center, set to open this month, and Harrison Medical Center’s Poulsbo Hematology and Oncology, patients will have more options when combatting the disease.

And beyond that, more options when it comes to traveling for treatment.

“They’re looking for the best edge they can so they shop around,” said Harrison’s Dr. Dennis Willerford said of cancer patients. Willerford is a medical oncologist who before moving to Kitsap taught at the University of Washington Medical School. “People don’t appreciate or don’t even know how deep the ranks of speciality is over here.”

The number of patients from Kitsap and the greater peninsula area prompted the two doctors who started the Peninsula Cancer Center to bring their new practice to Poulsbo.

Richard “Alex” Hsi and Berit Madsen, both radiation oncologists who practiced at Virginia Mason Medical Center, said they have seen hundreds of patients from Kitsap and beyond. And rather than have patients come to them, they decided to come to the patients.

Beyond that, ferries can be late and they cost almost $15 one-way with a car, with just the driver.

“It’s just a big production,” said Madsen, whose 80-year-old father, who lives in Poulsbo, made the trip to Virginia Mason to receive cancer treatment.

“That’s a long walk,” Hsi said.

Harrison’s Poulsbo cancer clinic opened in July. Peninsula Cancer Center began seeing patients this week. Madsen and Hsi said the center’s grand opening will take place Sept. 22.

Barto, a former Bainbridge Island resident who received his treatment from Hsi at Virginia Mason, said if he had other options, he wouldn’t have made the trip to Seattle.

“If Poulsbo had been available, and Dr. Hsi been available, believe me I would have gone there,” Barto said.