Bhavana (Tina) Bhatnagar, DO—Associate Professor of Medicine at the WVU Cancer Institute—shares her journey from academic centers to rural West Virginia, where she’s working to expand access and improve outcomes for underserved communities.

We talk about what high-quality rural cancer care really takes: overcoming transportation and financial barriers, navigating limited specialty resources, building community-based clinical trials, and expanding access to innovations like CAR T—powered by strong multidisciplinary teams.

Key takeaway: the best care starts with understanding the person behind the patient.