The Outreach Oncologist for Rural Colorado

Dr. Robert Hoyer, an oncologist with UCHealth in Colorado Springs, dedicates one week each month to providing cancer care in rural southeast Colorado, where access to specialized medical services is limited. His small team, including a nurse practitioner, scheduler and medical assistant, offers clinic visits and infusion/chemotherapy services at local hospitals in Trinidad and Lamar, serving up to 140 patients weekly. The team’s willingness to drive long distances each month allows patients from remote communities like Burlington, Cheyenne Wells and Del Norte to receive critical care close to home, avoiding long and burdensome trips to urban hospitals.

Hoyer’s commitment to rural outreach began 15 years ago. He says it has been a fulfilling part of his practice, as traveling hours for cancer care would be a huge burden on the patients he serves. Doing these clinics, he said, opened his eyes to the rural health care situation in the United States.

His work has earned him the nickname “the outreach oncologist” among Lamar residents, and he’s built strong ties with the local communities through repeated visits and hotel stays. He believes that offering infusion services in rural settings is a rare and impactful model, and he’s passionate about raising awareness of the disparities in rural health access.

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