GRMC brings awareness to National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

OAKLAND, Md. – The month of March is recognized as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The staff at Deep Creek Colon & Rectal Surgery, PC, recently dressed for the occasion by wearing blue on March 3. 

Dress in Blue Day, established by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CAC), is designed to bring awareness to end colorectal cancer. According to the CAC, an estimated 153,020 people will be diagnosed with this highly preventable disease in 2023. They will join more than 1.4 million colorectal cancer patients and survivors living today. 

Every March, National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month spotlights colorectal cancer, the second deadliest cancer in the United States.  

“Early detection and prevention are vital to colon health,” said Lynda Dougherty, MD, FACS, FASCRS of Deep Creek Colon & Rectal Surgery, PC. “Colorectal cancer is largely preventable through screening which can find precancerous polyps-abnormal growths in the colon or rectum-so that they can be removed before turning into cancer. Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage when treatment is most effective.”  

A native of northeastern Ohio, Dougherty completed her colon and rectal surgery training at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the nation’s finest training programs. She received her undergraduate degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, moving on to the Medical College of Ohio (now University of Toledo) where she completed her medical degree and general surgery residency. 

Dougherty moved to Garrett County in 2018 after 20 years of practice in Fairfax County, Northern Virginia. In 2019, she purchased 880 Memorial Drive (formerly known as Dr. David Tuel’s building), which is now called Mountain Maryland Medical Center, and established Deep Creek Colon and Rectal Surgery, PC.  

Deep Creek Colon and Rectal Surgery, PA provides patients with subspecialty care in colorectal surgery and proctology not previously available in western Maryland. Dougherty offers in-office procedures and performs colonoscopies at both Garrett Regional Medical Center and the SurgCenter of Western Maryland in Cumberland. 

To learn more or to make an appointment, contact 301-334-4340.   

For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit www.wvumedicine.org/Garrett.  

Pictured are Lynda Dougherty MD, FACS, FASCRS (second from left) with the staff of Deep Creek Colon & Rectal Surgery, PC.