Ravi Patel, MD is a board certified medical oncologist who has been in active practice for more than twenty years.  He founded Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center (CBCC) eight...

Ravi Patel, MD is a board certified medical oncologist who has been in active practice for more than twenty years.  He founded Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center (CBCC) eighteen years ago and grew it from a 1000 square foot office with one employee into a truly comprehensive, community focused diagnostic, treatment, educational and research based cancer center. 

While serving as managing partner of the Center, Dr. Patel continues to actively care for his patients and serve as principal investigator on the Center’s many clinical research studies. The 95,000 square foot facility provides Kern County residents and others with state-of-the-art cancer care in a modern and caring surrounding.  CBCC employs more than 200 clinical, technical and support staff and is home to fifteen dedicated physicians.

 Dr. Patel is actively involved with the leading pharmaceutical manufactures and academic research programs to assure that cancer patients in Kern County have access to the most cutting edge medicines and treatments available anywhere in the world.  His goal is for every patient treated at CBCC to have access to at least one standard cancer therapy and one more advanced treatment regiment, which CBCC makes available through its rigorously managed program of clinical research trials.

 To this end, Dr. Patel has chosen to affiliate CBCC with the UCLA School of Medicine.  Working through the UCLA research consortium, UCLA employees manage clinical trials along side the Center’s own research staff.  Several of the treatments tested at the CBCC have proven to be highly success and have gone on to receive approval from the Federal Government’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  These breakthrough treatments have changed the way that many forms of cancer are now being managed around the world.

 As a result of his clinical research experience, Dr. Patel has authored several scientific papers in such respected journals as the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Clinical Lymphoma.  He is sought after as a lecturer and consultant on clinical oncology issues and patient care.  In this capacity, he serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).  He is actively involved with the Residency Program in Internal Medicine at the Kern County Medical Center. 

Dr. Cartmell joined Dr. Ravi Patel’s Medical Oncology Practice in 1989. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Pain M...

Dr. Cartmell joined Dr. Ravi Patel’s Medical Oncology Practice in 1989. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Pain Management.  He is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and belongs to numerous professional organizations including American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Academy of Pain Management, American Society of Internal Medicine, American, California and Kern County Medical Associations and the Christian Medical and Dental Society.

In addition to practicing medical oncology and hematology, Dr. Cartmell has been the Principal Investigator on several critically important clinical research studies carried out at CBCC.  In addition to serving as an investigator on studies at CBCC, Dr. Cartmell is a Principal Investigator with the Southwest Oncology Group (a National Cancer Institute designated Oncology Cooperative Group) and has been a Investigator with the Mid-Atlantic Oncology Group and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA.  His research has led to the publication of several articles in leading professional journals.

Dr. Cartmell is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA.   He is a sought after speaker.  He has been Guest Speaker at the Kern Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, American Cancer Society, University of Istanbul (Turkey) and Xinjiary Medical University (China).  He has been a Lecturer for the Johns Hopkins CME Program.  Dr. Cartmell has served as Chair of the Cancer Committees a Memorial, Mercy and San Joaquin Hospitals and has been Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mercy Hospital.  He has been the medical director for both Option Care and the CBCC Hospice.  He has been awarded the AMA Physician’s Recognition on several occasions and in 1998 received the National Hospital Pharmacy Quality Award.

Dr. Cartmell earned BA Degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, where he was also an Ivy League gymnastic champion and captain of the Yale gymnastics team.  At Yale he was elected President of the Yale Christian Fellowship.  He completed medical school at Indiana School of Medicine in Indianapolis.  His Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine were completed at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he was also awarded a Fellowship in Medical Oncology which was completed in 1988.

Dr. Cartmell is very committed to community service.  He is a member of the Laurelglen Bible Church where he is active in “street ministry”.  He is a lecturer and consulting physician with Agape International Training and with X Track Training.  He has served on the Board of the American Cancer Society and as Vice President for Professional Education.

He and his wife Karen have two sons and a daughter.

Dr. Tu is Board Certified in four specialties; Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hematology and Geriatrics. He is credited with many scientific papers and has lectured extensively...

Dr. Tu is Board Certified in four specialties; Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hematology and Geriatrics. He is credited with many scientific papers and has lectured extensively throughout the USA and Taiwan. Dr. Tu joined CBCC in 1991 after a distinguished career in Stockton, California.  He has been a clinical investigator on many of CBCC’s research studies. Dr. Tu was educated in Taiwan where he completed medical school and residency in Radiology. In coming to the USA in 1965 he switched fields and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the New Jersey Medical College and Dentistry. He was then awarded Fellowships in Medical Oncology and Hematology by the University of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center.

From 1973-1977, Dr. Tu was Clinical Instructor of Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. A very private person, Dr. Tu is partial to classical music and loves travel, camping and photography. He is also an avid reader – his advice to the Nation is that everyone should Read More Books.

A local product, Dr. Shambaugh was raised in Wasco and completed his early studies at Fresno State. After completing Fellowship training in both Medical Oncology and Hematology at Pe...

A local product, Dr. Shambaugh was raised in Wasco and completed his early studies at Fresno State. After completing Fellowship training in both Medical Oncology and Hematology at Penn State University, he returned to Bakersfield to join the staff at the Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center in 1993.

Dr. Shambaugh stays busy with his daily medical practice and clinical research activities. He serves on the advisory boards of several pharmaceutical companies that are pursuing the development of new medications for cancer treatment. He also serves on the medical staff committees at all local hospitals.

Married with four children, he is very active in the community. He is on the board of Directors of the Kern County Medical Society and the American Cancer Society. He and his wife are members of Couples Against Cancer.

In 1998 Dr. Shambaugh received the American Cancer Society Professional Education Award and was honored as Memorial Hospital's 1999 Physician of the Year. He was also the recipient of the 1999 Heart to Heart Community Volunteer Award.

Dr. Mukhopadhyay is an accomplished physician, researcher, educator, author and civic leader. His many accomplishments have included serving as President of the Kern County Medical S...

Dr. Mukhopadhyay is an accomplished physician, researcher, educator, author and civic leader. His many accomplishments have included serving as President of the Kern County Medical Society, being named Physician of the Year by Mercy Hospital, serving as Chairman of the Board at Mercy Hospital and as a Member of the Board of Directors for Memorial Hospital.  He has also served on numerous clinical and administrative committees at Mercy, Memorial and Kern County Medical Center.

Dr. Mukhopadhyay started his medical practice in Bakersfield in 1978 and joined CBCC in 1995, where he is continues to be actively involved with patient care and clinical research.  He has a special interest in solid tumors and chemotherapy. Dr. Mukhopadhyay serves as Clinical Professor of Nursing at California State University Bakersfield.  Prior to relocating to Bakersfield, he was Clinical Instructor of Medicine at George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has been guest speaker at both local and international professional meetings.

He graduated from Medical School in Calcutta, India and completed a Residency in internal medicine at Howard University in Washington, DC. His post-doctoral Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology was completed at Yale University, School of Medicine.  Dr. Mukhopadhyay is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.  He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Southern California Academy of Clinical Oncologists, the American, California and Kern County Medical Societies.

His interests outside of medicine are diverse. He has published both fiction and non-fiction in DESH – India’s leading Literary Journal. As an undergraduate, he was all India Debate Champion, a Gold Medal Winner in Impromptu Drama, and a Gold Medal winner in Literature.  He received a Distinguished Physician and Literary Person Award from the citizens of Chandan Nagore, India.  He continues to be an active member of the Bakersfield Rotary Club and over the years has been involved in many civic and fund raising causes.

Dr. Desai joined CBCC in 1999. His first task was to organize a Radiation Therapy Department which he now directs.  Over the past six years, under Dr. Desai’s direction th...

Dr. Desai joined CBCC in 1999. His first task was to organize a Radiation Therapy Department which he now directs.  Over the past six years, under Dr. Desai’s direction the Department has added both services and capacity.  The Department now operates three linear accelerators. In addition to standard dose radiation therapy, it offers IMRT and Stereotactic surgery. Prostate seed implantation and mamosite treatments are also offered.

Dr. Desai graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Desai worked for IBM as an electrical engineer.  He completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at State University of New York at Brooklyn.  Dr. Desai has received specialized training in Brachytherapy (LDR & HDR) and IMRT.

Dr. Desai is Board Certified in Radiation Oncology and as a Medical Examiner. He is a member of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American College of Radiation Oncology, American College of Radiology, the New York Roentgen Society and the American Medical Association. He is licensed to practice medicine in California, Florida and New York.

He and his wife Komal, a psychiatrist, have two children.