Since arriving at North Country Hospital in 2006 to head up the North Country Hospital Oncology and Hematology Clinic Dr. Leslie Lockridge has earned the respect of his patients and peers. The cancer specialist’s dedication to his profession, and his depth of knowledge, has attracted the attention of the American Cancer Society. Dr. Lockridge recently learned he has been appointed to the New England Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society. There is only one other Vermonter serving on the board. He will step into his new position in September.
The nomination has attracted words of praise from North Country Health System’s CEO, Claudio Fort. “The American Cancer Society is leading the fight against cancer in terms of research, education, advocacy, and community service,” Claudio explained. “All of us at North Country are proud that Dr. Lockridge has been nominated to serve in this important capacity.”
Dr. Lockridge arrived at North Country with an impressive resume and an easy-going personality that is quickly able to put his patients, many who are going through a traumatic time in their lives, at ease.
He is board certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine – Hematology. In addition to his training, the doctor has served as an assistant professor of medicine at the Brown University School of Medicine, and he was a clinical instructor of medicine at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He comes to North Country from the hematology/oncology department at the Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island in Pawtucket.
Treating people with cancer is far more than a job for Dr. Lockridge; it is a passion. He looks to the future of cancer prevention, treatment, and research with great optimism. “The future is undeniably bright for cancer care,” Dr. Leslie Lockridge said. “We’ve made so much progress in the way of non-chemo/non-toxic therapeutics and supportive care (anti-nausea drugs, blood growth factors, etc.) that the face of oncology has changed dramatically from even ten years ago. Treatment is much gentler, our understanding of side effects is greater now, and oncology is still the fastest developing field in medicine. As far as outcomes, cancer is more curable and much more manageable. Myeloma, for instance, is now more like diabetes in terms of being something you live with rather than die from.” North Country’s oncology department is located on the second floor of North Country Hospital.