Day of Hope: Renowned doctor returning to Mission Hope Cancer Center
SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- A popular oncologist that has provided world-class care to patients on the Central Coast for more than a decade is returning to Mission Hope Cancer Center.
Dr. April Kennedy, who previously worked at Mission Hope, has re-joined the staff at the cancer center, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
"One the reasons that I'm happy to come back is I've noticed the significant growth of the community and Mission Hope as well, offering so much more to patients,” said Dr. Kennedy. "It is exciting to be back here. It's just lovely to be able to come back and see my patients and work with the doctors and the exceptional staff that we have here at Mission Hope."
A renowned doctor of oncology and hematology, Dr. Kennedy worked with Marian Cancer Care for a total of 12 years, including seven at Mission Hope, starting when the facility first opened in 2012.
After leaving in 2019, she has returned and will once again help Mission Hope provide one-of-a-kind comprehensive cancer care to patients who live throughout the Central Coast.\
"This place is exceptional,” said Dr. Kennedy. “This is one of the reasons that I'm so excited to come back. We have nurses like no other nurses. They're not only clinically sound, but they have empathy and compassion. A patient walks in the door, they actually look forward to coming in, if you can believe it, because they know they're going to be greeted warmly. They're going to be taken care of. We want to make it as good of an experience as we can because we know how difficult cancer treatment and the stresses of cancer can be. We want this to be an easy place to come and taken care of and all of their needs met."
The announcement of her return comes just days before the Day of Hope, the one-day fundraiser for Mission Hope that helps raise much-needed funds for local cancer patients.
"It is a really fun event,” said Dr. Kennedy. "We're going to have teams out on street corners all over Santa Maria selling a special edition of the Santa Maria Times for $1. There's going to be a car parade at 11 a.m. We're going to have people out all day selling these papers. Of course, you can donate a dollar, but if you would like, you can give us more and that will all go back to the assistance of the patients."
The 9th Annual Day of Hope is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17 from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. throughout the Santa Maria Valley.
For more information about the Day of Hope, click here.
