WINNSBORO and BATON ROUGE, La. – Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Franklin Medical Center have entered into a new partnership aimed at further enhancing cancer care in the Winnsboro region. This collaboration brings together Franklin Medical Center’s deep community roots and Mary Bird Perkins’ extensive oncology expertise to provide patients in northeast Louisiana with greater access to high-quality cancer care close to home. Through the partnership, patients in the Franklin Parish area now have access to the state’s largest and most comprehensive cancer care network via Mary Bird Perkins, Louisiana’s largest healthcare organization solely dedicated to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
Oncology and hematology services will continue to be offered at Mary Bird Perkins’ clinic on the campus of Franklin Medical Center, ensuring seamless care for local patients. Manish Dhawan, M.D. will provide medical oncology and hematology services, supported by experienced staff members, including oncology nurses with years of service to the Winnsboro community, with the support of Mary Bird Perkins’ multidisciplinary team and resources. Dr. Dhawan has served on the medical staff of the hospital for over five years.
“This partnership is rooted in a shared commitment to saving lives and supporting patients throughout every step of their cancer journey,” said Jonas Fontenot, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Mary Bird Perkins. “We are honored to join with Franklin Medical Center to expand access to cutting-edge treatment and personalized care for those residing in Winnsboro and surrounding communities.”
Fontenot also noted that Mary Bird Perkins is the only healthcare organization in Louisiana with a 100 percent dedicated focus on oncology, providing services for more than 50 years in communities across Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi.
With cancer mortality rates remaining high in rural parishes across Louisiana, the partnership is a strategic step toward addressing disparities in cancer outcomes. Through joint efforts, both organizations will focus on prevention, early detection, community outreach, and the delivery of advanced treatment options.
“Franklin Medical Center has always prioritized delivering high-quality care to our community,” said Blake Kramer, administrator at Franklin Medical Center. “This partnership with Mary Bird Perkins not only reinforces that commitment, but also brings new opportunities for expanding services and introducing innovations in cancer treatment right here at home.”
As the partnership evolves, Franklin Medical Center and Mary Bird Perkins plan to grow their local cancer services with additional clinical support, enhanced technologies, and access to the latest research – resources typically found only in major metropolitan centers.
Dr. Dhawan is currently accepting new patients at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s clinic at Franklin Medical Center. For appointments, please call (318) 239-4860.
About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is Louisiana’s largest cancer care organization and has been leading the fight against cancer for more than 50 years. Founded in Baton Rouge in 1971 by a group of community leaders, the Cancer Center now serves every region of Louisiana and communities across southwest Mississippi. With an expansive team of highly-trained oncologists leveraging innovative medical therapies, breakthrough technologies and breast surgery, Mary Bird Perkins offers the most personalized treatment options available in the Gulf South. The Cancer Center’s emphasis on community-based care allows patients to access these resources close to home. Its wide array of individualized support services encompasses everything from early detection, through the innovative Prevention on the Go screening and education program, to other specialty services, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Together, Mary Bird Perkins helps improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. For more information, visit marybird.org.
About Franklin Medical Center
Franklin Medical Center is a rural acute care hospital in Winnsboro, Louisiana that has been treating the citizens of Franklin Parish and its surrounding communities since 1970. With a broad spectrum of healthcare services ranging from primary care and mental health to surgical specialties like orthopedics and urology, Franklin Medical Center offers the most comprehensive and innovative treatment in our area. A winner of numerous quality and service awards, Franklin Medical Center’s devotion to high-level services with a small-town touch means that our community can receive top of the line care without having to deal with long distances and longer wait times, meaning less of a burden on patients and their family members. This type of personal, empathetic service is what lies at the heart of the Franklin Medical Center mission of Community Focused Quality Healthcare.