Oncologist Jeffrey Klotz, M.D., has joined FirstHealth Oncology & Hematology as part of the growing cancer care team.
Dr. Klotz previously worked at Scotland Cancer Treatment Center (Duke Cancer Network) in Laurinburg. Prior to that, he achieved the rank of colonel in the United States Army Medical Corps and was affiliated with Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg.
Dr. Klotz now works at the FirstHealth Outpatient Cancer Center and will see patients at the FirstHealth Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is expected to open in early 2023. The four-story, 120,000-square-foot center will house palliative care services, research and clinical trials, nutrition services, a dedicated wellness center, as well as navigation and support services for patients and caregivers.
Dr. Klotz said he is honored to contribute to the center’s whole-person-care approach and to help patients navigate through challenging times.
“Although many patients will survive their cancer diagnosis, patients with an incurable illness eventually tend to focus on what is most important in their lives, which is usually God and family. I consider it a great privilege to be able to take care of people at this most vulnerable time in their lives.”
Dr. Klotz earned his Doctor of Medicine from The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed an internal medicine residency at Brooke Army Medical Center and Darnall Army Community Hospital, and a hematology and oncology fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Klotz is also a certified diplomate in both hematology and oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
He attributes Gregory White, M.D., a family physician from childhood, for sparking his interest in health care.
“He was a true jack of all trades and delivered me at home, despite some challenging obstetric circumstances,” Dr. Klotz said. “I was always fascinated by hematology since medical school but was less interested in oncology. During my time as an internal medicine physician, however, I discovered I greatly enjoyed caring for oncology patients.”
Originally from Illinois, Dr. Klotz called numerous states home during his 24 years of military service. He said he and his family are happy to remain in North Carolina for the foreseeable future.
“We have met many interesting people from all over the world here in the Sandhills, even some who have no association with the military, horses or golf,” he said. “This combination of a growing community and a dynamic population make the Sandhills a great place to live.”
An active member of the community, Dr. Klotz enjoys volunteering and serves as a founding board member for Father Vincent Capodanno High School in Vass. He also serves as an active parishioner at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.
Dr. Klotz and his wife, Frances, have five children between the ages of nine and 22. In his spare time, he enjoys seeing live music, listening to the Grateful Dead and watching college football. Between his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, and his wife’s, The University of Alabama, he “usually has something to be happy about on Saturdays in the fall.”
