Two-time breast cancer and thyroid cancer survivor Susan McFarland had just finished her 30th round of radiation treatment when a routine PET scan showed something suspicious on her colon. Her doctor, Jordan Senchak, MD, a medical oncologist at St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center, affiliated with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, advised her to get a colonoscopy.
In February 2025, Susan had a colonoscopy and biopsy, which revealed she had a large tumor that needed to be removed. Afterward, she reached out to her UPMC primary care provider Morcos Habib, MD, who referred her to David Medich, MD, a colon and rectal surgeon at UPMC specializing in the management of colon and rectal carcinoma.
Because Susan, 51, doesn’t have much paid time off, she requested the presurgery appointment be via telemedicine. From her home in Jeanette, it would have taken her two hours to travel to and from Dr. Medich’s office.
Instead, she met with Dr. Medich via a video visit, during which they discussed the possibility of her tumor being cancerous.
“I was very impressed with him,” says Susan. "When Dr. Medich came on camera, he said he took a deep dive into my medical history. He was thorough."
The next day, she followed up with Dr. Senchak and was pleased to hear her surgeon had consulted him about her treatment plan.
“With my doctors being in the same network, the communication between them has been tremendous,” says Susan. "I’ve also benefited from the UPMC Patient Portal where I can access everything — from my appointment summaries to test results — all in one place."
Traveling to Pittsburgh for Advanced Colorectal Surgery
In March, Susan traveled to UPMC Montefiore for surgery. Dr. Medich used a minimally invasive technique to remove the tumor and half of her large intestine.
“I received excellent care from Dr. Medich and his team, who were all so kind,” adds Susan.
After a successful recovery, she followed up with Dr. Medich via another video visit, during which they went over the biopsy results of her tumor: It was benign.
“We were super excited to learn the tumor wasn’t cancerous,” says Susan. “I also feel very fortunate we were able to have the appointments by video conference. Taking unpaid time off work affects me financially. As a single mom, I can’t do it.
"The ability to check in with my doctors through telehealth is invaluable. It’s more convenient since you don’t need to travel.”
Susan’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
