Srihari Peri bids adieu to Tunnell Cancer Center upon impending retirement

It has been my pleasure to serve and care for people fighting cancer for the past 26 years as medical director of Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center. I have had the privilege of meeting a great many people and developing lifelong friendships with many patients and family members. But now it is time for me to retire, and pass your care to my compassionate and dedicated colleagues at Tunnell Cancer Center.

When I first started at Beebe Healthcare in 1991, I was the organization’s first full-time oncologist. The Tunnell Cancer Center was created in 1995 through a generous $1 million donation from W. Robert Tunnell Sr. and his wife Eolyne Tunnell. At that time, I stepped into the role of medical director which I serve in to this day. During my tenure, the center grew from a staff of five team members to nearly 100 team members. Today I work alongside a talented team of five medical oncologists and five radiation oncologists at the Tunnell Cancer Center who work together to plan and implement the treatment for the people who seek our care. Tunnell Cancer Center is one of only 95 cancer programs across the nation - and the only one in Delaware - to earn the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence from the American College of Surgeons on Cancer.

The advanced care we provide at Tunnell Cancer Center continues to be recognized by external agencies, and the patients we serve express their gratitude for our dedication, our expertise and our compassion.

As I retire from active practice, I am confident in the strength and depth of the clinical team in place at Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center. Just in the last year, the center recruited three new medical oncologists to our staff. The newly developed role of the Nurse Navigators eases what can be a daunting process of navigating the healthcare system, especially when one is facing a cancer diagnosis. We also completed a strategic plan for the future so we are prepared to grow and evolve to best serve the needs of our growing community.

Over the past several decades, I have watched many families in the area grow, and have shared heartache and joy with thousands of patients. I am grateful for your loyalty throughout the years and will take the memories of all that I have experienced with me into my retirement - knowing that the team at the Tunnell Cancer Center is in place and ready to care for the next family who needs them.

Srihari Peri, MD, is medical director at Tunnell Cancer Center, Rehoboth Beach