Bhavana Singh, MD, Joins Care Team at Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center

When faced with a difficult diagnosis, people can turn to Bhavana Singh, MD, for compassionate, expert care.

A highly qualified specialist in hematology oncology, Singh treats people with a blood disorder or cancer.

“I chose oncology because I found myself drawn to the therapeutic potential of the field. I am excited by the ongoing advances, and I look forward to offering those leading-edge treatments to my patients,” she says of her specialty.

Because her core philosophy on care is patient centered, Singh works closely with other medical team members toward a goal of delivering exceptional care.

Mapping her education and training

Singh earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., where she also completed her residency and internship. Her medical degree is from University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami. She is board certified in internal medicine.

Singh completed a fellowship in hematology oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C.

Prior to attending medical school, Singh studied in London and traveled to Ghana and Tanzania for research in the field of global health. In addition to English, she speaks French and Telugu.

Journey to medicine

While conducting research in impoverished settings, Singh realized that having a medical degree would allow her to offer more to help people. “I saw that with having a medical degree, I could have a closer connection with patients,” she says.

“My journey to a career in medicine was a bit roundabout. I started out with an interest in global health which led me to better understand the global factors that play a role in the delivery of health care while studying the pathophysiology of disease.

Choosing oncology

During her residency Singh became aware of the close bond that oncologists form with their patients and decided to choose that specialty.

Singh recently joined the staff at Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono. People are usually referred to her by their primary care provider or another specialist. It’s likely that a health care provider noticed something unusual in the person’s blood counts or on imaging, like an X-ray or MRI, Singh says.

“People think of cancer as dealing with solid tumors, but there are a wide variety of cancers like leukemia or lymphoma that are not,” she says.

Singh also treats people with blood disorders that aren’t cancer. “There’s the whole field of benign hematology like blood-clotting disorders and anemia,” she says.

With a nod to Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute’s membership in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance), Singh says the opportunity to do research coupled with the likelihood of treating a wide variety of patients ultimately drew her to join Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center at LVH–Pocono.

Her patients benefit from the team-based partnership with MSK providers through research findings and access to clinical trials for innovative treatments.

Lehigh Valley roots

“I come from a medical family – my father is a surgical oncologist in Bethlehem, so certainly that contributed to my interest in medicine,” Singh says.

Singh grew up in Bethlehem, and her husband is from New Jersey. After living in different locations along the East Coast, they are glad to be within driving distance of their families.

“As a Bethlehem native, I look forward to working together with my patients and my team to deliver exceptional medical care to the community,” Singh says.

On her days off, Singh enjoys hiking with her husband and their dog. “I like to stay physically fit,” she says. Working at LVH–Pocono and living nearby makes it easy to hike on many trails including the Appalachian Trail, Singh says.

Learn more about Singh at LVHN.org/Singh. For questions or to schedule an appointment, call 888-402-LVHN (5846).