Dr. Harold Mooinn Chung, MD

When you have cancer it just doesn't seem that the world can move fast enough to get things done and taken care of. I live in a financial corporate world where we expect things to be done quickly and then move on. With my diagnosis, myelodysplasia syndrome, where my bone marrow is no longer making health cells, my wife and I read up on it and we thought we were ready to do what we had to do. My blood doctor told me to go see a bone marrow doctor and recommended Harold Chung as one of the ones at MCV to see. I got in within a couple of weeks which seemed like a lifetime but it was worth the wait. From the time I checked in and saw the front desk personnel, the check-in nurse, and the nurse practitioner, we thought we were ready to talk about the transplant, we though we had read up on it. What I wasn't prepared for was the level of detail that Dr. Chung had gone in to not just learning about my particular case but what treatments were out there, what options we had, and the… possibility of transplantation being a cure. He literally took notes while he discussed the process and what to expect and gave them to us when he was done about 40 minutes later. I was impressed... but more importantly, so was my wife. We are now almost 6 months in to the transplant and although it was an up and down course, as expected, I now have normal counts and slowly weaning off the transplant medications. I have returned back to work part time (mostly from home) and ready for full time when they release me. I've learned to be a very patient man over the last few months and this whole experience has been refreshing for me.

The diagnosis was leukemia and it didn't look good. We were devastated and surprised... our doctor wasn't sure what the diagnosis was but had a suspicion and wanted a second opinion. Dr. Chung sat down and reviewed the results with us one by one and the final biopsy results and what they meant. We were taken aback. But he told us quickly there were options. He waited until we were ready and then he outlined a plan, more of a flow chart, of what options we had and how to approach this. We talked that night and called back our transplant coordinator to let Dr Chung know we were ready. And that was 6 years ago and we still have his notes to this day. My daughter is getting married and I have seen my son graduate from high school. I forget all of the bad things and just remember that first conversation and how he said we had possibilities. Thank you, sir.

Our boy was sick... my wife and I couldn't think straight and with the number of doctors giving us information throughout the day, it all got so confusing. I was so thankful that he was there daily and sometimes 2-3 times a day to help answer questions and really, just put it all together for us to be able to understand. We felt much more comfortable knowing that he was there for our son, and for us, and made it easier to get him through the transplant. He is now outpatient and doing well... and I know that each moment is precious so we make the most of it now. Dr. Chung and the team at VCU made it possible!

Detailed and knowledeble

I was afraid, very afraid. I wasn't sure what to expect from the chemotherapy let alone the bone marrow transplant. Dr. Chung saw that within the first 5 minutes of my first consultation with him so he took a step back and talked to me about other things and made me realize the reasons we go through therapy in the first place. We were able to continue with our discussion about treatment options and what to expect. What surprised me again was his compassion and he (and his BMT coordinator Judy) went out of his way to find a patient with a similar disease and stage to call me at my home and talk to me and give me their perspective from a patient standpoint which helped me tremendously. I'm glad I made that decision to forward... it's been 5.5 years since my transplant and I have not regretted that decision one bit.

We were terrified. We just got the diagnosis of leukemia from our long-term family doctor. We were referred to an oncologist but were still very confused and scared. We talked to some friends who recommended Dr. Chung for a second opinion. And we were so glad we did. Dr. Chung got us in and sat down with us and went through the diagnosis, treatment options and then his recommendations based on our situation but also our family needs and concerns. Highly recommend him even if it's just to talk and get some understanding of your cancer.

I was in dire straits. I just got a lot of bad news from my primary care doctor and met with a popular but busy oncologist who said I needed a bone marrow transplant. I was scared about that consult but I met with Dr. Chung and he put me, my wife and my daughter at ease about the process. He took the time to explain things, made sure we had our questions answered and even drew up a care plan of how things were going to go. I'm happy to say that everything has gone well and I couldn't be happier... both my transplant is done and Dr. Chung made every bit of a difference for all of my family and me.

Dr Chung is very knowledgeable in his field, but also is one of the most compassionate physicians I've ever encountered. He educates you and answers your questions in a way that the average patient can understand.

Great experience. I was nervous as can be about my cancer. My friend works at MCV Hospitals and recommended Dr. Chung for a second opinion, and I'm glad I did! He saw me, reviewed everything that had been done and explained everything in the workup so far. He was able to go over a plan of care and I have been doing well ever since. And that was 3 years ago!

I'm usually suspicious of the health care system sometimes, probably something to do with my past dealings. I was backed in to a corner and needed a second opinion. I was ready... and so was Dr. Chung. We talked for a good long while and after my first barrage of questions, I knew he was the one for me. I transferred my care... the transplant did not take as long as I thought it would. I was even surprised when Dr. Chung sat down with me one afternoon and announced they were done... the transplant process was complete and I was back in remission and ready to go on with my life again. I can't thank him enough... but more so just putting me at ease with the idea of transplant. Thank you, Sir.