GRMC Recruits New Medical Oncologist for Gila Regional Cancer Center

Category: Community News Community News
Published: 21 February 2019 21 February 2019

dr fontelonga 0044 4x5Silver City, NM, February 21, 2019 – Gila Regional Medical Center and the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center in Albuquerque announced today that Antonio Fontelonga, MD, will provide medical oncology care at Gila Regional Cancer Center starting in early 2019.

Fontelonga, originally from Portugal, will live in the Silver City area and practice full time at Gila Regional Cancer Center. He has been hired as a staff physician with the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Under the agreement between UNM Cancer Center and GRMC, GRMC operates its own cancer clinic. The Gila Regional Cancer Center has hired staff, nurses and a physician assistant. It manages the billing, scheduling, data, and treatment management systems for its patients.

UNM Cancer Center provides cancer doctors at Gila Regional Cancer Center. UNM Cancer Center medical oncologists and radiation oncologists have been traveling to Silver City one day each week since October 2017. Starting in 2019, after Fontelonga completes his medical licensing, he will see patients at Gila Regional Cancer Center full time and a radiation oncologist will continue to visit once each week.

Fontelonga holds a medical degree from the University of Porto Medical School, with an overall classification of 16 (on a scale of 0 to 20). He completed post-graduate training and practiced in Portugal for 13 years prior to arriving in the United States in 1992. In the U.S., Fontelonga specialized in hematology and medical oncology. He completed a fellowship in Rochester, N.Y., and has practiced in Nevada and Minnesota. He holds certifications in medical oncology and hematology from the American Board of Internal Medicine.

“We look forward to welcoming Dr. Fontelonga to our state and particularly to our community,” said Taffy Arias, CEO of GRMC.

“Dr. Fontelonga will take excellent care of New Mexicans in the Silver City area,” said Cheryl Willman, MD, Director and CEO of the UNM Cancer Center. “We look forward to working with him.”

Patients who wish to schedule an appointment with Dr. Fontelonga can call the Gila Regional Cancer Center at (575) 538-4009 or visit www.grmc.org for more information.

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