Trust & Gratitude
Patients continuing their care with the Ghosh team in Marengo share their thoughts
Hundreds of individuals from Linn County and beyond have trusted Dr. Ghosh and his team at The Ghosh Center to guide them through cancer treatment. Again and again, those patients tell a familiar story: the Ghosh team truly puts patients first, and it leads to life-changing outcomes.
So when Dr. Ghosh announced that the team would be transitioning all patient treatment to Marengo, the decision to follow them was, for many, an easy one. They simply wouldn’t trust their care to anyone else. In fact, over 83% of active patients have chosen to follow the team to their new home.
Here, we talk to two patients about their experience at The Ghosh Center, and their decision to continue their care with the Ghosh team at Compass Memorial Healthcare in Marengo.
Bertha Long: “I just keep going!”
Above: Bertha Long; Below: Shirley Pasker.
Bertha Long, a patient of Dr. Ghosh for decades, didn’t hesitate to continue her care in Marengo. “I was diagnosed with chronic leukemia/lymphoma in my late 60s, and Dr. Ghosh said I’d have at least 11 good years. I turn 94 in March,” Bertha said. “I’m not afraid to go home and see my Lord, but I just keep going!”
Bertha’s husband, now deceased, also received care from Dr. Ghosh for a blood disorder. She moved into Methwick four years ago, and is lucky to have her son, one of four children, living nearby. He will drive her to Marengo for treatments.
Bertha continued, “Dr. Ghosh took really good care of my husband, and now he’s taking really good care of me. He’s a very thoughtful, friendly, caring person. I trust in him. And the nurses and staff are very, very good.”
Shirley Pasker: “I wouldn’t go to anyone else”
Shirley Pasker, 70, began seeing Dr. Ghosh in 1999 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “He got rid of it for me,” Shirley said. Then, when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2014, she went back to him. “He’s taken care of me ever since and he’s done a wonderful job. I wouldn’t go to anyone else,” Shirley said.
“I don’t know what we would have done if we had to go to someone else,” Shirley continued. “I don’t think I could trust someone else. I’ve really trusted Dr. Ghosh on any decision he’s made for me. He sticks by you. And he has great nurses; they’ve been with him for so long.”
Shirley’s husband, who drives her to all her treatments, added, “Dr. Ghosh’s philosophy is the patient first, and that actually works. It’s not about money for him, it’s about us. He’s trying to help us survive.”
The Future
In the new location at Compass Memorial Healthcare, Dr. Ghosh is accepting new patients, so he can continue making a positive impact on the lives of patients like Bertha and Shirley in the years ahead. The team members that patients know and trust -- Mindy, LaNette, and Laurie -- have transitioned with him, joined by two CMH nurses. Together, the team will continue their commitment to patients-first care and the promise of better outcomes for everyone.