Greater Regional welcomes cancer care staff

Dec. 27—After a partnership with a cancer care center in Des Moines ended, Greater Regional Health created its own services as was announced during GRH's board meeting in November. The duo leading the service, Dr. Mathew Wehbe and onocology nurse Brooke Wehbe, were formally introduced during a reception held earlier this month.

They will have full-time services in Creston.

"We are excited abot the opportunity, patients and families have a choice," said GRH CEO Monte Netizel. "The end result is what we are are trying to provide in Southwest Iowa. We are excited to do this."

Brooke is a nurse practitioner and was at Greater Regional Health for a couple years earlier in her career.

"She always told me about Creston and how awesome Creston is," Mathew said. "It is one of the only places she said she was sad she left. So we looked into it."

Mathew said the goal was to start a service with a balance of patient care and personal life as they have children at home.

"We love little town, the feel fo family. We want to take care of our patients like we take care of family," he said.

Mathew said his medical residency was in Iowa City and continued as an employee at the University of Iowa.

"I'm really looking forward to this. I am very reachable," he said.

Mathew said he is confident providing more than 90% of oncology treatments that any other bigger center can do.

"I will be the first to tell you if it is something we can't do," he said. "It is a mazing to have such a hospital in a small community. We are very excited about this."

Mathew's 14 plus years working with cancer includes the University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Iowa. Brooke has been with oncology and health-care services for 16 years.