USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute and Monroe County Hospital expand local access to specialized cancer care

By Jessica Jones
[email protected]

USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI), in collaboration with Monroe County Hospital, is pleased to welcome Richard J. Gualtieri, M.D., board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist, to its cancer care team. Gualtieri will provide care at the Oncology Clinic of Monroe County Hospital in Monroeville, Alabama, as part of a rural partnership initiative aimed at bringing advanced healthcare services to underserved communities.

Gualtieri brings a wealth of experience to the health system, with clinical expertise spanning general oncology — particularly lung, breast, and colorectal cancers — as well as blood cancers and nonmalignant blood disorders.

Gualtieri earned his medical degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. He completed both his internal medicine residency and fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“I pursued my career in hematology and oncology at a time when there were exciting new developments in treating a variety of cancers,” said Gualtieri. “I was fortunate to participate in some of those early advancements. Today, we are able to cure many malignancies that were once considered incurable.”

With his appointment, patients in Monroe County and surrounding rural areas will have greater access to leading-edge cancer care without the need to travel far from home.

“The opportunity to practice under the umbrella of an academic health system like USA Health allows me to collaborate with colleagues on the forefront of cancer care,” Gualtieri added.

Gualtieri’s arrival is another milestone in a growing collaboration between USA Health and Monroe County Hospital. As part of a strategic alignment that began in 2021, the two organizations entered into a management services agreement aimed at enhancing the operations of Monroe County Hospital and expanding access to care throughout the region.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Gualtieri to Monroeville where he will join our team of clinicians and continue to provide high-level care to our patients,” said Nathan Tudor, CEO of Monroe County Hospital. “Receiving care locally is invaluable for patients in a rural community, while also providing continuity of care should they need treatment at MCI.”

This partnership backs USA Health’s vision to extend academic medicine beyond its main campuses in Mobile and Baldwin counties, ensuring that specialized care is available to patients throughout southern Alabama.