PLYMOUTH — “My wife was a patient here almost seven years ago,” John Oliver said at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Plymouth’s Cancer Institute. “The care Michelle, my family and myself received here was unbelievable.”
To show their appreciation, the Oliver family helped SJRMC, Plymouth’s Cancer Institute dedicate its Oncology Laboratory in June.

“The Oliver family has made a very big difference in the care of our oncology patients,” said Lee Jaeger, former vice president at SJRMC, Plymouth. “They are a very generous family that is genuinely interested in our community. We look forward to a long-term relationship with Ounce of Prevention.”
Ounce of Prevention is an organization that provides breast cancer awareness, fundraising, and events. Co-chaired by sisters Jennifer Houin and Jessica Oliver, Ounce of Prevention’s success and future depends on the events they sponsor and the many volunteers that help with coordination.
Michelle Oliver, who was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in December 2002 at age 33, helped start Ounce of Prevention.
“I received my treatments at the Plymouth campus and finished in June of 2003,” she  said. “John and I found that being able to take my treatments locally and at such a beautiful facility helped to get us through a very difficult time, as our children were 5 and 2 years old then.  
“The staff here at Saint Joseph has become like a family to us, as I continue to use the Cancer Institute for my check-ups,” she continued. “Ounce of Prevention has allowed me a way to give back to the hospital and community that helped me through a very difficult time.  Marshall County and the surrounding areas are very lucky to have such an outstanding facility like SJRMC, Plymouth and its Cancer Institute.”
Funds raised through Ounce of Prevention made the Cancer Institute’s On-cology Laboratory possible.
“The purpose of the Oncology Laboratory is to provide necessary services for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other hematologic disorders,” said Barbara Holcomb, SJRMC, Plymouth’s Labor-atory director. “Physicians appreciate the lab for its fast turnaround times so they can make quick decisions affecting the patient’s care.  The patient’s appreciate having a technologist present to answer questions they would naturally have.”
The new Oncology Lab-oratory provides a phlebotomy station convenient for the patients for blood collections. The Oncology Labor-atory is also equipped with a hematology analyzer to perform blood counts timely and efficiently.
“There is better coordination of patient care now that the lab is in close proximity to the Oncology staff,” Holcomb added.
“None of this could be possible without the generosity of the Oliver Family’s Ounce of Prevention Program and we thank them for helping Saint Joseph help provide this first-rate cancer care to our communities.”
For more information, visit  www.plymouthounceofprevention.org.