Ahmad Hammad, MD

Medical oncologist

Johnston Memorial Hospital
Abingdon, Va.

Dr. Ahmad Hammad remembers the exact moment he decided to dedicate himself to treating cancer patients. “I always wanted to become a doctor,” he recalls, “but when my grandfather was diagnosed with lymphoma and I witnessed the pain and sickness he went through, it was then that I decided to pursue the field of oncology. I wanted to become somebody who could make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families. I hoped to bring smiles when achieving a cure, and at other times be there for comfort when the cancer comes back or can’t be cured.” Comfort has come to Dr. Hammad from patients and others, as well. When he moved to the area in 2002 for a residency and fellowship, he says he and his family didn’t want to move away. “People in this region made it feel like home away from home to me and my little family,” he says. Watching patients go through trying times is difficult for an oncologist, says Dr. Hammad. But the rewards come when he or his team members can bring good news and witness the smiles and sighs of relief from patients and family members. And, he loves it when the patients share stories about their children and grandchildren. He feels it is important to provide more than treatment to his patients, and to offer physical and emotional assistance throughout the cancer journey for both patients and their families. “We are here to support them,” he says. “We stand by our patients and help them through the course of their disease, whether they have just been diagnosed or are at the end stage. They are not alone; it is our battle, too.”