Cancer Diagnostics & Care

Biography

After earning her medical degree from Dartmouth/Brown University Medical School, Dr. Hardenbergh completed both an internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver and residency at Harvard Medical School's Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. Upon completion of her residency, Dr. Hardenbergh received certification from the American Board of Radiology in 1996 with a recertification in 2006.

In 1996, Dr. Hardenbergh moved to North Carolina to become a faculty member at Duke University, where her responsibilities included patient care, research and teaching. Dr. Hardenbergh's work at Duke brought her national recognition, including her participation in the award of two Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) Breast SPORE Pilot Project Awards and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Award.  Dr. Hardenbergh has authored over 30 peer reviewed medical journal articles in addition to dozens of editorials, reviews and abstracts.

In 2001, Dr. Hardenbergh and her family moved to the Vail Valley, where she became instrumental in building Shaw Regional Cancer Center.  It was Dr. Hardenbergh's vision that directed the development of Shaw's multi-disciplinary approach to cancer care, as well as "Spirit of Survival," Shaw's comprehensive nutrition, fitness and wellness program for survivorship. This program and others are a testimony to her belief that cancer treatment and care are about the whole patient and their family. Dr. Hardenbergh's commitment to advancing the technology and approach to patient care is exemplified by her contribution to the design of an innovative device to deliver partial breast radiation. Through Dr. Hardenbergh's creative input and experience, the engineering and design of this breast brachytherapy tool, later approved by the FDA, has now treated over one-thousand cancer patients to date.

In 2010, Dr. Hardenbergh became the recipient of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Foundation Improving Cancer Care Grant funded by Susan G Komen for the Cure. The $1.35 million grant, the largest ever in the history of the ASCO Foundation Grants and Awards Program, helps bridge the gap between small radiation oncology rural practices and the rapidly advancing technology utilized in larger group practices. As a result of Dr. Hardenbergh's vision, rural oncology practices are able to consult with some of the top radiation oncologists in the world, and patients benefit from receiving the best medical care available.

RELATED LINKS

• A Small Town with Big City Care