Patricia Bush, PA-C – Physician Assistant
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“I feel that the most important thing I can do for my patients and their families is listen to their concerns, answer their questions and help them to make the best decisions they can regarding their treatment and quality of life,” says Patricia Bush, a physician assistant at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern).
As a member of the gastroenterology and metabolic support team, Bush aids Dr. Pankaj Vashi. Together they help to address the needs of inpatients and outpatients at the hospital who are fighting digestive cancers (e.g., colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer), as well as patients who have digestive disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Dr. Vashi and Bush partner with the dietitians of the Nutrition Therapy Department to ensure that these patients receive the nourishment they need to stay strong. They provide nutrition that’s administered parenterally (through a vein) or enterally (through a tube).
In addition to working closely with the dietitians at Midwestern, Dr. Vashi and Bush work with side by side with the hospital’s surgical teams and hospitalists.
Bush helps care for inpatients during their stay at Midwestern, providing critical gastroenterology and metabolic support. She also reviews lab work and imaging tests to help keep Dr. Vashi up to date on how his patients are doing. And, she meets with outpatients who are to undergo gastroenterology tests and procedures Dr. Vashi will perform, such as a colonoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). She further explains the tests and procedures to patients and their families after they have met with Dr. Vashi, so that they better understand what’s involved and what to expect. Bush also helps care for outpatients who have digestive problems, and she educates patients who are in need of a feeding tube or total parenteral nutrition (TPN) about the nutrition support they are to receive.
Bush is certified as a physician assistant by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. She graduated summa cum laude from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia with a master’s degree in physician assistant studies. She also received two bachelor’s degrees in medical science; one degree from Alderson-Broaddus College and the other from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Bush graduated from both schools cum laude.
Of note, Bush received a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics West Virginia Chapter for research as a part of the Child Health Quality Initiative.
Bush says making the decision to join the integrated team at Midwestern was one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
“I enjoy the upbeat atmosphere here,” she adds. “The people I work with strive to be helpful to our patients and each other. I see an attitude that’s above and beyond the job description. The entire staff goes that extra mile every day for every patient. It is an inspiring place to be.”
