When Trent Williams was diagnosed with colon cancer in April of 2024, the former Atlanta resident wasn’t sure he could get the same level of care he needed in north Georgia as he could get in a larger city.
Trent Williams is pictured with the bell he constructed to ring when he celebrates the end of his chemotherapy treatments.All that changed when he became a patient at Peeples Cancer Institute (PCI), part of Vitruvian Health, formerly Hamilton Health Care System, where he is halfway through a series of chemotherapy treatments.
“The service there is incredible,” said Williams, CEO of a local roofing company. “All the nurses and doctors are incredible. From the second you walk into PCI, the kindness begins. The nurses are so well-trained and really care about you as a person.”
PCI opened in January 2020 at 1215 Memorial Drive, bringing previously separate cancer treatment offices under one roof to streamline care. In addition to state-of-the-art clinical spaces, PCI features a waiting area that includes a bistro, a piano, modern lighting, a windowed front, and roomy, modern seating. The facility was designed to enhance the patient experience. It features a calming environment filled with natural light, soothing colors and comfortable furnishings to reduce stress and promote healing.
Williams jokingly calls his chemo treatment days his “spa days.” In the chemotherapy infusion suite, patients are able to recline in comfortable chairs and relax during the infusion. Nurses closely monitor patients and can quickly provide nausea treatments when needed. Patients also have the option of choosing from private rooms or semi-private infusion bays, with the ability to enjoy natural lighting or adjust window shades for privacy.
But what really made an impact on Williams is the people.
“The level of care from the nurses is just phenomenal,” he said.
Williams’ journey back to health began several months ago when he went to the emergency room with debilitating stomach pain and dehydration. Nurses struggled to even insert a needle for an IV. Soon, he was admitted to Hamilton Medical Center.
A colonoscopy the next day revealed cancer, and he was quickly scheduled for surgery to remove part of his colon, including a tangerine-sized mass. After a successful surgery and recovery period, he began six months of chemotherapy treatments at PCI.
“It was remarkable the level of service and care that is right here in Dalton,” he said.
Williams’ Dalton roots run deep. Born at Hamilton Medical Center, he is related to several local doctors and has spent much of his life in North Georgia. In his spare time, he enjoys many outdoor activities including mountain biking, fishing, gardening and playing Frisbee.
He encourages anyone going through a similar situation to trust the process — and especially the nurses and doctors at PCI.
“I would recommend going to get a colonoscopy ASAP, and don’t be afraid of going to the doctor,” he said. “These people are professional.”
While PCI has a bell for patients to ring at the end of treatment, Williams has a brass bell he mounted on a small board that he is excited to ring when he gets to celebrate the end of his chemo treatments later this fall.
“It really isn’t that bad,” he said of his treatments. “You’re going to have bad days…but I’m not losing any weight…and, I get to live.”