Lawrence Wiggins, PA-C – Physician Assistant, Interim Pain Management Department Manager
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For more than 35 years, physician assistant Lawrence Wiggins has been caring for patients as though they were dear members of his family.
Wiggins is a key member of many patients’ care teams at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center. He works alongside Dr. Rohit Shah, Dr. Robert Levin and Dr. Joel Granick as an extended care provider for each of these medical oncologists. His education, clinical training and vast experience with cancer patients allow him to attend to the immediate medical needs of our patients.
Wiggins devotes as much time as he can to each patient, carefully listening to their concerns, answering their questions and addressing any medical issues they may be facing, such as treatment side effects.
He explains of his role, “I see patients, many times on their return visit for chemotherapy, treating any side effects from chemotherapy, reviewing test results, and treating their pain issues, as needed.”
Pain management is a critical concern for Wiggins, as he is responsible for collaborating with the hospital’s pain management nurses to ensure patients are comfortable and receiving the pain relief they need.
Wiggins has been certified as a physician assistant by the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants for 26 years. He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology.
His medical education and training date back to his days in the U.S. Navy. Wiggins enlisted in 1970. He started out as an independent duty hospital corpsman aboard a submarine, and ultimately, completed an accelerated Navy Physician Assistant program through George Washington University. Wiggins became a commissioned warrant officer in the Navy upon graduating. While still on active duty, he completed a bachelor of science degree off campus through Wayland Baptist University, located in Plainview, Texas. He then accepted a commission into the Medical Service Corps of the Navy. He served the rest of his naval career in naval clinics in Hawaii and Illinois (Great Lakes). His last tour of duty during the Desert Storm assault was aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln CVN 72 as part of the medical team caring for a crew of more than 5,000 members. In 1995, he retired from the Navy and joined the CTCA family.
On a personal note, Wiggins says he has helped many of his own relatives cope with cancer, including his mother who is a 20+-year survivor.
“I have been able to help guide them through the winding road of cancer treatment,” he says. “I think of my family members’ fight against cancer and relate that to what our patients go through every day. I treat our patients with the same love and respect I have for my relatives.”