Medical oncology specialists are highly trained to diagnose and treat cancer and blood disorders. At St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, we use the latest techniques and technologies in chemotherapy; biological, hormonal, and targeted therapies; stem cell transplant; and other treatments to help you achieve your best possible results. We also work in partnership with you, your primary care provider, and other specialists to make sure you receive the most effective, evidence-based care, including access to clinical trials.
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Silvana Z. Bucur, MD is board certified in oncology, hematology, and internal medicine. She is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Amy Cruz, NP is a family practice nurse practitioner. She has experience in the operating room, neurosurgery, and treating substance abuse. She is also experienced in palliative care medicine, having provided care in both the outpatient and hospice care settings. She found palliative medicine both exciting and challenging, and was thrilled to specialize in this area.
Originally from Utah, Amy is excited to become an Idahoan. She enjoys exercising, yoga, meditation, golfing, and of course spending time with family and friends.
Eric Fountain MD, MA is a hematologist and oncologist with interests that include lymphoma, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, and gastrointestinal cancers.
Dr. Fountain taught high school science and mathematics before beginning his career in medicine, and his experiences as a teacher as well as his own family’s struggles with cancer shaped his personalized approach to cancer care. For both benign and malignant conditions, his management is tailored to the biology of disease, latest treatments, and most importantly, a patient’s unique personal circumstances to promote physical and mental well-being.
Dr. Fountain’s scholarly works on platelet disorders and immunotherapy in rare disorders have been published in numerous journals. At MD Anderson Cancer Center, he led a multidisciplinary team to improve outcomes in patients who receive mechanical filters to prevent blood clots.
Dr. Fountain lives in Boise with his wife, a St. Luke’s OB/GYN, and their children.
Alexis Gough specializes in medical oncology and hematology. She has an extensive background in surgery and worked in the operating room for many years as a surgical technologist and circulating nurse.
Alexis is nationally certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Western Governors University and her master’s degree in nursing from South University.
Peyman Haghighat, MD began his career as a molecular geneticist in the field of cancer gene therapy. He has served as medical director for an American College of Surgeon comprehensive cancer program as well as associate director of a hospice program.
Dr. Haghighat has been principle and co-principle investigator in numerous phase II and III clinical trials and his academic research has been published in several journals. He was awarded outstanding clinical instructor by student physicians. It is, however, the privilege of being allowed to care for cancer patients about which he is most passionate.
Jessica Herr, DNP specializes in breast cancer risk assessment, risk reduction strategies, and prevention. She created the program that has now become the St. Luke's High Risk Breast Clinic. Jessica is passionate about health promotion and cancer/disease prevention, and enjoys inspiring her patients to lead healthy, active lifestyles.
While Jessica has worked in oncology for most of her career, she also has experience working in pediatric surgery.
Jessica is certified through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Boise State University, her master's degree in nursing, family nurse practitioner, from Herzing University, and her doctorate degree in nursing practice (DNP) through Idaho State University.
Kenna Hopkins, NP is a licensed family nurse practitioner specializing in adult medical oncology/hematology. Her focus is on client-centered care through an approach filled with compassion, advocacy, and empowerment.
Her passion for oncology/hematology was born when she began her nursing career at St. Luke’s on the inpatient medical oncology unit, only intensifying when she transitioned to St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, Center for Hematological Malignancies where she served as triage nurse and BMT long-term follow-up nurse navigator. After completing her master’s degree and certification as a family nurse practitioner, she spent a year in urgent care where she gained valuable experience before returning to St. Luke’s Cancer Institute in Fruitland.
Kenna was born in Boise and raised in Middleton, Idaho. She earned her a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and health from the University of Idaho and a second bachelor’s degree in nursing from Idaho State University. She completed her master’s degree at Frontier Nursing University.
Chad Hurd, PA-C specializes in oncology and working with cancer patients. He began his education at the College of Southern Idaho, where he obtained an associate's degree in radiologic technology. He then obtained a bachelor's degree in radiation therapy at Weber State University. Next, Chad gained clinical experience as a radiologic technologist at the University of Utah Hospital/Huntsman Cancer Hospital and Intermountain Healthcare, as well as Minidoka Memorial Hospital. He then completed his master's degree in physician assistant studies at James Madison University.
Prior to joining St. Luke's Cancer Institute, Chad worked with other patient care teams in Twin Falls, including St. Luke's Clinic - Orthopedics, Spine and Surgery, St. Luke's Quick Care, and the Physicians Immediate Care Center.Anuhya Kommalapati MD is a medical oncologist and hematologist with a special interest in thoracic malignancies, breast oncology, genitourinary cancers, and benign hematological conditions.
Dr. Kommalapati believes in effective communication with patients to ensure their needs are met by involving them in the decision-making process and support them in any way she can. She also makes it a priority to build trust and strong relationships with each of her patients.
In addition to her clinical activities, Dr. Kommalapati is active in research. She seeks to improve health care delivery while focusing on patient centered care. Dr. Kommalapati’s research focuses on expanding clinical trial access to patients and expanding targeted therapies based on tumor biology by incorporating a genomically driven approach. During her tenure at the Mayo Clinic, she was actively involved in expanding targeted therapies in lung cancer with rare mutations, analyzing the importance of circulatory tumor DNA in peri-operative setting, and health outcomes research. Some of this work has been published in high-impact journals such as the Lancet Oncology, Journal of National Comprehensive Care Network (JNCCN), the Oncologist, and the Blood, among others.
Dr. Kommalapati has been the recipient of several coveted nationally recognized awards, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) merit awards, The ASCO-SITC merit awards, Society of Hematologic Oncology Young Investigator Award among several others.
William Kreisle, MD earned his bachelor's degree from Stanford University prior to his medical education.
Jarah M. Leman, NP-C, MSN, APRN, AOCNP, BMTCN is nationally certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She holds additional certifications as an advanced oncology nurse practitioner and a blood and marrow transplant certified nurse from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation. Jarah specializes in malignant hematology and cellular therapy. Her previous experience also includes medical oncology, pediatric bone marrow transplant, and family medicine.
Jarah completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Utah and her master’s degree in nursing from Duke University.
Clinton Morgan, MD has a passion for oncology, hematology, and delivering excellent, high-quality care close to home. He also has special interest in newer treatment therapies, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Dr. Morgan's focus extends beyond treatment as well, and he is committed to getting to know his patients personally, improving their quality of life, and helping them make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Dr. Morgan practiced medical oncology and hematology in Lewiston, Idaho, where he became familiar with rural medicine and outreach clinics. He has worked closely with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and has served as volunteer faculty with the University of Washington.
Dr. Morgan earned his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University prior to beginning his medical education. Originally from Idaho, he is happy to live in the Treasure Valley with his family. They all enjoy skiing, hiking, biking, the outdoors, and family vacations. Dr. Morgan also enjoys gardening, reading, and cooking.
Michael Pahang, PMHNP treats a wide range of patients dealing with co-occurring psychiatric disorders and co-morbid medical conditions. In addition, Michael is a commissioned officer with the Air Force Reserves where he works to bring mental health awareness to the military culture.
Michael earned his degree as a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner from Gonzaga University. He also has a graduate degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma.
M. Ryan Partin, PA is a nationally certified physician assistant who serves his patients through every step of their treatment. Prior to his career as a PA, he enjoyed teaching high school science. His passion for education carried over into his clinical practice and he takes great care to communicate with patients and their families.
Ryan obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and his master's degree from Idaho State University’s PA school. In his free time, he can almost always be found with his wife and kids, reading, or playing outdoors.
Jashmin Patel, MD is passionate about providing excellent, personalized, and compassionate hematology and oncology evidence-based care to her patients. She is devoted to providing the best options for treatment and working toward a positive outcome.
Dr. Patel has published in the New England Journal of Medicine and served as principal investigator in clinical trials involving a range of cancers, including, but not limited to, breast cancers, myelodysplastic syndromes, leukemias, lung cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and colon cancer. She has a special interest in the treatment of breast cancer and women's health.
Prior to her medical education, Dr. Patel earned her bachelor’s degree with honors in molecular and cellular biology from Vanderbilt University. Originally from Tennessee, she is now proud to call Boise home with her husband, also a physician at St. Luke’s.
Rebecca Penner, PA-C specializes in hematology-oncology. She is a member of the Idaho Academy of Physician Assistants and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Prior to joining St. Luke's, Rebecca worked at OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, specifically in malignant hematology, bone marrow transplant, and CAR-T therapy.
Rebecca earned her bachelor’s degree in health science studies from Boise State University, and her master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Pace University – Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program – NYC Campus. Originally from Idaho, she is excited to provide medical care in the place she calls home.
Nichole Roach specializes in medical hematology and oncology and is nationally certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Nichole earned her bachelor’s degree from Boise State University and her master’s degree in nursing, family nurse practitioner, from Northwest Nazarene University. She is a member of the Oncology Nursing Society with oncology-certified nurse recognition.
Audrey began her work as a registered nurse in oncology at the Seattle VA Medical Center, where she supported patients flown in from around the world for specialized cancer care. She loved working with veterans and considers this a highlight of her career. Next, Audrey earned her nurse practitioner degree at Idaho State University, where she also served as an oncology/ICU clinical instructor for undergraduate nursing students attending Boise State University. Prior to joining St. Luke's, she also worked in medical oncology at St. Joseph Mercy Health System and the University of Colorado in inpatient, outpatient, management, and patient education roles.
Audrey is grateful to be back in Idaho working at St. Luke’s Cancer Institute. In her free time, she spends as much time as possible outside with her family and dog. She also loves to bake and has been known to work her way through entire cookbooks.
Sri Harsha Tella, MD, FACP is a medical oncologist and hematologist with a special interest in precision oncology, gastrointestinal malignancies, neuroendocrine tumors, and benign hematological conditions. He is also specialty trained in endocrinology with a special focus on endocrine malignancies, neuroendocrine tumors, and oncologic endocrinology.
Dr. Tella believes in patient-centric care and is inspired by his patients’ resilience and positive mindsets even in the face of extraordinary challenges that many encounter while fighting cancer. In his view, it is his career in cancer care has definitely shaped who he is today and he believes it’s a privilege to take care of people who battle cancer.
In addition to his clinical activities, Dr. Tella is active in both research and education. Dr. Tella’s research focuses on novel drug therapy development. During his tenure at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Mayo Clinic, he wrote clinical trial protocols for novel drug therapies in endocrine and gastrointestinal malignancies. His research has been published in high impact journals such as the Lancet Oncology, Journal of National Comprehensive Care Network (JNCCN), The Oncologist, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) among others.
Dr. Tella has been the recipient of several coveted nationally recognized awards, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) merit awards, Minnesota Society of Clinical Oncology outstanding fellow award for research, the Endocrine Society- Young Investigator Award/outstanding research award, Raisz-Drezner award from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), and Mayo Clinic Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) grant among several others.
Dr. Tella is very active in American Society of Clinical Oncology where he serves as a member of the ASCO-Self Evaluation Program (SEP) Item writing task force contributing to Oncology fellows’ education. He also served as Assistant Professor of Oncology and Medicine at Mayo Alix School of Medicine during his tenure at Mayo Clinic.
Jessica Thibault, MD is an oncologist and hematologist who cares for patients with all cancer types and blood disorders. She has special interests in breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer.
Jennifer Welch RN, MSN, NP-C specializes in patients with hematological/oncological disorders. Jenn earned her bachelor’s in nursing from Baylor University and master's degree in nursing at Maryville University. She has a background in neurology.
In her spare time Jenn enjoys family, outdoors, and music.
Travis G. Williams, DO has a special interest in malignant hematology. During his residency, he researched, presented, and published articles on donor-transmitted non-leukemic promyelocytic sarcoma, acute myeloid leukemia, metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma, and cancer medicine rate of complete diagnostic testing. He also earned Chief Fellow and Resident of the Year awards.
Dr. Williams earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Idaho State University. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology. He currently chairs a team of IT experts and serves as the St. Luke's Cancer Institute IT Medical Director. In his free time, Dr. Williams enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his family.
Dan Zuckerman, MD has special interest in gastrointestinal cancers and colorectal cancer.
Norman Zuckerman, MD has special interest in anemias and genitourinary cancers. He continues to be passionate about oncology, especially as newer targeted therapies and symptom control medicines are prolonging life and improving quality of life for his patients. As the director of the Integrative Medicine program at St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, Dr. Zuckerman considers all options – conventional and alternative – worthy of discussion.
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Supportive oncology is an integral part of the St. Luke’s Cancer Institute philosophy that healing comes from caring for the whole person, not just the disease.
You can count on a team of experts who will work alongside your physicians to help you and your family be as strong and stable as possible during your cancer diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
Learn what to expect as you begin your chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment.
You can make a real difference in the lives of patients and families facing cancer. We hope you’ll help us provide the exceptional healthcare and support they deserve. We encourage you to get involved by making a financial gift, sponsoring or attending events, or volunteering your time.