Peggy Carey, RN, BSN, MPA, FACHE
Vice President
Peggy Carey moved to the Vail Valley from Bend, Oregon fall of 2010 to become the Vice President of the Shaw Regional Cancer Center. Peggy has a BSN from Southern Oregon State College and a Master’s in Public Administration- Health Care, from Lewis & Clark College. She is a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives. She serves on the board of the Association of Cancer Executives.

Peggy began her nursing career in 1984 at St. Charles Health System where she worked as a staff/charge nurse for 6 years on an inpatient oncology unit. In 1990, Peggy took a coordinator position within the St. Charles Health System. Her role in this position was to develop programs and services to support care of cancer patients receiving treatment at St. Charles-Bend.

In 1993, Peggy was promoted to Cancer Program Director for St. Charles Health System. She also acted as the hospital liaison to home health, hospice, American Cancer Society, the Susan G, Komen for the Cure and other community partners.  Peggy served two terms as the Chair for the State of Oregon’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.

Peggy was promoted again in 2000 to the Oncology Service Line Director for the St. Charles Health System, a not-for-profit health system comprised of four hospitals.  Peggy founded the Sara Fisher Breast Cancer Project and co-founded Heaven Can Wait Walk/Run to raise support for programs and services for women with breast cancer. Peggy chaired the capitol campaign to build Hospice of Bend and conceived and led the idea, design, chaired the capitol campaign and oversaw construction of the Bend Ronald McDonald House.

“My goal is to build partnerships with the citizens and communities VVMC and The Shaw Cancer Center serves. Listening to the community and responding to citizen’s needs directs resources, and builds quality programs and services of value for this region. This is what I came here to do.”
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Shannon Hart, CTR
Tumor Registrar 
I am the tumor registrar at the Shaw.  I began working in the medical field in 1994 and came from Arkansas where I was the tumor registrar for three years. I passed my Certified Tumor Registrar's exam in 2004, and moved to Vail for my current position in July of 2005 after doing contract work here at the Shaw.
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Christine Hasselbach, DPT, CLT
Physical Therapist  
I attended the University of Colorado for both undergraduate and then for a masters and clinical doctorate in physical therapy.  Prior to moving to the Vail Valley to work with the Shaw Cancer Center, I worked for three years at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver.  At the University I worked with a wide variety of patients from infants to adults.  I have also completed my lymphedema certification since working at the Shaw Cancer Center.  I moved to the mountains with my husband, our dog Maggie, and two cats.  I love to be outside skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing.
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Melanie Hendershott, RD
Dietitian 
I am the Registered Dietitian for the Shaw Regional Cancer Center.  I earned my Bachelor of Science degree at Colorado State University with a major in Human Nutrition and Dietetics.  Then, I completed a Dietetic Internship through the University of Northern Colorado while working and training at the University of Colorado.  I started my career at Porter Hospital as the oncology dietitian for both outpatients and inpatients.  I relocated to the Vail area in 2005 and have been working for the Cancer Center since March of 2005. I completed a Masters in Nutrition in August of 2009 through Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine. I meet with patients and counsel them on nutritional issues in cancer care.
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Vanessa Lewis, LCSW, OSW-C
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Counselor 
I am a licensed clinical social worker for the Shaw Regional Cancer Center, credentialed specifically in oncology. I earned my masters degree from Denver University, School of Social Work. I relocated to Vail from Denver where I worked in the health care community in the metropolitan area. I have been with the Shaw Regional Cancer Center, developing the support programs for patients since the Shaw’s opening. It has been my task to develop support programs and to offer support to patients on a one-to-one level as well as family and group support.  My focus is on helping patients find solutions to problems related to cancer treatment, ranging from emotional to financial issues and everything in between.
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Brandon Mays
Operations Manager  
Originally from Ventura, CA, I moved to the Vail Valley in 1980. After graduating with a degree in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder, I became the billing supervisor for the Vail Valley Medical Center’s Home Health and Hospice departments.  I recently graduated from the University of Colorado’s Executive MBA in Healthcare Administration program.   My free time is typically spent skiing, swimming or just hanging out at home with my wife and two daughters.
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Kim Lyons-Mitchell, MLIS 
Medical Librarian 
I am the medical librarian for the Shaw Regional Cancer Center and the Vail Valley Medical Center. I began my education in biology and received my Bachelor of Arts in 1993 in animal behavior/psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. I continued my education with another degree in zoology as well as a Masters in Library and Information Science, graduating in 1998 also from the University of Texas at Austin. I took an assistant professor/medical librarian position at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA prior to coming to Vail in 2001. I have been the medical librarian at the Shaw since the library was created in the Fall of 2001. I focus on empowering patients, their friends and family as well the general public with medical information to assist in making informed healthcare decisions. I also works closely with physicians and other medical professionals to ensure that they have up-to-date medical information. Email me with questions.     
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Judy Nespeca RN, BSN, OCN
Oncology Clinical Manager
I graduated from Georgetown University School of Nursing in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Since then, I have enjoyed a varied career through the years and began focusing on Oncology in 2000, working in a large healthcare system in Northern California as a Systemwide Project Manager for nine cancer centers. When the opportunity at Shaw became available, I was thrilled to be able to return to the mountains of Colorado to work in this wonderful setting with a great team. I enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and gourmet cooking in my spare time.
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Melanie Taylor, MS, CGC 
Genetic Counselor
I graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology specializing in genetics.  I went on to receive my Master of Science degree in genetic counseling from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.  I provide genetic counseling for all types of hereditary cancers for individuals with a personal or family history of cancer.  This includes risk assessment, coordination of genetic testing, and patient and physician follow-up.  I am particularly interested in improving access to genetic counseling services outside of the major metropolitan areas of Colorado.  I am certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and am a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
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