At the Cancer Care and Infusion Center at Uintah Basin Medical Center in Roosevelt, Melissa Argyle, LPN, coordinates services that are transforming cancer care access for rural communities.
Why it matters
Without this program, cancer patients in the Uintah Basin would need to travel approximately 300 miles round trip to Salt Lake City—often multiple times per week—for essential treatments.
“The impact is astronomical,” Argyle explains. “People are able to get their care here and not have to travel, which is better not only physically, but emotionally and financially as well.”
Behind the scenes
As Site Coordinator, Argyle manages the complex logistics that make remote cancer care possible:
- Coordinating lab work and imaging studies
- Setting up telehealth equipment for virtual consultations
- Managing treatment plans across multiple healthcare providers
- Ensuring seamless communication between patients and specialists
“It’s a lot of moving parts,” Argyle notes. “I coordinate with the providers in Salt Lake, who then connect with patients via telehealth and examine them virtually.”
The bottom line
This program delivers more than just convenience—it provides equivalent quality of care to what patients would receive at urban medical centers.
Patients receive treatment plans from the same specialists they would see at larger facilities, but with the added benefit of staying close to their support systems during a challenging time.
“It’s really rewarding to know that what I do is able to help somebody in their journey,” Argyle says. “It gives me a good sense of purpose to be able to help our community members not have to go through it alone.”