Patients coping with cancer often must juggle multiple treatments and appointments — along with the resulting fatigue — making the chance to receive cancer care close to home all the more welcome.

For residents of northwestern Orange County, the new offices of Keck Medicine of USC – Buena Park, located at 5832 Beach Blvd., allow access to the outpatient facility’s best-in-class oncology services.

Patients can see medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgical specialists from the nationally renown USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in one convenient, state-of-the art location. In addition to advanced radiation therapies, services include diagnostic screenings; immunotherapy, targeted therapies and other cancer medication; and infusion therapy. Nearby in the same building are imaging services.

“At Keck Medicine of USC, we believe in community and in world-class care,” said Smitha Ravipudi, MPH, chief executive officer of USC Care and Ambulatory Care Services. “We know it’s often difficult for cancer patients to travel long distances, so being able to offer oncology services through USC Norris in Buena Park is one way we offer Orange County residents quality treatment close to their home.”

Staff at Keck Medicine of USC – Buena Park treat a wide variety of cancer and blood diseases, except for conditions requiring bone marrow transplants. These still take place at USC Norris facilities in Los Angeles.

“We truly provide a one-stop service,” said Sang-Hoon Ahn, MD, MPH, medical director for Keck Medicine of USC – Buena Park and clinical associate professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “And we do it in multiple languages.” The multilingual staff provides care in Korean, English and Spanish. Additional translation services also are available.

Prior to joining Keck Medicine in 2018, Ahn headed up his own private practice in Buena Park. He made the move “because I wanted our patients to get better cancer care than a community practice can provide,” he said.

Currently, patients can consult with USC Norris surgeons specializing in urologic and colorectal cancers. This year, the slate of surgical specialists will expand to a broader range of cancers.

Future plans include offering clinical trial participation at Buena Park, enabling patients to have access, as appropriate, to experimental treatments being tested for efficacy and safety.

Buena Park oncologists take complex or rare cases to weekly tumor boards held by specialists at USC Norris. “In this way, our patients benefit from the combined expertise of the finest specialists throughout the university medical system,” Ahn said.

— Candace Pearson