Congratulations to McLeod Pulmonologists Dr. Vinod Jona and Dr. Carmen Taype-Roberts, the Cardiovascular OR, and HVI Day Hospital teams on performing more than 550 Ion Robotic Bronchoscopies at McLeod Regional Medical Center. The comprehensive lung cancer program at McLeod includes our lung cancer screening program, dedicated nurse navigators, a lung nodule clinic, patient conferences with multiple specialists and innovative treatment options. The addition of Ion, a robotic-assisted endoluminal platform for minimally invasive peripheral lung biopsy, takes the detection of lung cancer to the next level and allows us to provide superior care to patients.

Early detection of lung cancer is essential to improving survival rates. At McLeod Regional Medical Center and McLeod Health Seacoast, Dr. Jona, Dr. Taype-Roberts, Dr. Melissa Miara, Dr. Kevin Dineen and Dr. Abhijit Mahalingashetty utilize the Ion system. With Ion, these physicians can go deeper into the lungs to locate the much smaller lung nodules, perform a biopsy to precisely detect lung cancer and then develop a treatment plan all with improved speed and accuracy.

Advancements such as the Ion technology, robotic-assisted thoracic surgery and radiation oncology treatment, all strengthen the lung cancer care McLeod Health offers to patients in the region.