St. Alphonsus Oncologist Bridges Rural Healthcare Gap with Medical Conference

Rural Idaho faces some of the most significant healthcare access challenges in the nation — but Dr. Andrew Scott Pierson, a medical oncologist and hematologist at St. Alphonsus, is helping change that narrative. Through his leadership at Binaytara’s Best of ASCO Boise conference, Dr. Pierson is bringing world-class oncology education to rural providers, empowering them to deliver cutting-edge cancer care closer to home.

Dr. Andrew Scott Pierson, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist at Saint Alphonsus, co-chairs the Best of ASCO conference in Boise, helping close the cancer education gap for community oncologists in rural Idaho.

Best of ASCO is one of the long-running conferences organized by Binaytara, an oncology nonprofit based in Bellevue, Washington. Dr. Pierson traces his involvement with the Best of ASCO conference back to a simple recognition: rural healthcare providers need accessible, affordable continuing medical education to deliver the best possible care to their patients.

Bringing Oncology Education to Rural Idaho

Dr. Pierson's leadership at this conference began when Dr. Binay Shah, president of Binaytara, first brought the educational initiative to Boise two to three years ago. "I was asked to chair a session then and got to interact with him," Dr. Pierson recalled. "It has been a great opportunity to do something outside of work where you are still contributing to making oncology care better."

The conference serves a dual purpose: supporting Binaytara's goal to build a hospital in rural Nepal while bringing top-level speakers to provide the latest oncology updates locally across the United States. For Idaho's medical community, this local access is crucial. "The closest academic medical center is five hours away in Utah," Dr. Pierson explained, highlighting the geographic isolation that makes such conferences invaluable.

Why Rural Access to Cancer Care Matters

Similarly, for patients, physician shortage creates significant barriers, particularly those in rural areas who may travel two to four hours just to see a medical oncologist. Moreover, the transportation challenges are more than inconvenient; they are often insurmountable. "For some patients, older patients or those with economic challenges who just cannot afford travel, they choose not to get care," Dr. Pierson observed. Recent physician retirements in La Grande and Pendleton, Oregon, with no replacements, have only exacerbated these access issues.

To address these challenges, St. Alphonsus has developed innovative outreach strategies. The health system operates a clinic in Baker City with telemedicine support and a local infusion center, allowing patients to receive chemotherapy closer to home. "We do a lot of telemedicine to try to meet patients where we can," Dr. Pierson explained.

This geographic reality also shapes how rural oncologists practice. Unlike their urban counterparts, who can subspecialize, rural oncologists must become "experts in common cancers like breast, colon, and lung" while maintaining competency across the full spectrum of hematology-oncology. "You get good at a lot of different things, but for the things that are kind of rare, you really have to work hard with your academic colleagues to make sure you are doing the right thing."

How Binaytara’s Best of ASCO Boise Is Making a Difference

The Best of ASCO Boise conference helps fill this gap by providing local, affordable CME options, with registration fees waived for residents and fellows. "Not everybody has the money to go to conferences," Dr. Pierson explained. "The fact that it is local makes it affordable, and it may not be any cost for some providers."

Despite geographic challenges, St. Alphonsus maintains its commitment to cutting-edge cancer care through participation in the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). "We can offer trials through the cooperative groups, and that gives patients access to hopefully better than standard of care treatments," Dr. Pierson said.

St. Alphonsus’ Innovative Telemedicine and Outreach Efforts

St. Alphonsus also pursues pharmaceutical trials to provide patients access to newer therapies, ensuring that rural locations do not limit treatment options. " My institution supports research, which is great, and we both have similar goals to provide the highest level of care possible to our community."

Through his practice at St. Alphonsus and his work with the Binaytara Education Academy, Dr. Pierson continues to demonstrate that geographic barriers need not compromise the quality of cancer care, as long as the medical community remains committed to education, collaboration, and keeping care close to home.