OLYMPIC MEDICAL CENTER has a new radiation oncologist for its cancer center in Sequim.

Dr. Rena Zimmerman joined the staff on Nov. 30 and was publicly introduced at the commissioners’ meeting on Wednesday at Linkletter Hall in the basement of the Port Angeles hospital.

Zimmerman has practiced radiation oncology for more than 20 years. She most recently worked at Western Regional Medical Center near Phoenix.

She will lead a team of two at the Olympic Medical Cancer Center.

OMC is recruiting a full-time radiation oncologist to replace a temporary radiation oncologist.

“Radiation therapy is an extremely satisfying area of medicine,” Zimmerman said in a prepared statement.

“Our ability to treat patients has improved dramatically because of technological advances, such as computing,” she said.

“We can better provide radiation cancer treatment due to those advances, while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue, and I find that very encouraging.”

Jim Leskinovitch, OMC’s board president, welcomed Zimmerman on behalf of the seven commissioners.

“This is a great community, and if you enjoy small towns at all I think you’ll enjoy the beauty of our area and the nice people we have in the community,” Leskinovitch said.

Pamela Hawney, assistant administrator of specialty Services at OMC, said Zimmerman’s experience is “excellent” and that “her work in the development and enhancement of cancer care programs will benefit our patients.”