BLOOMINGTON - Carle Foundation's program in Urbana for children with cancer and blood disorders has been suspended and children are being referred to other pediatric programs.

Carle Foundation's pediatric hematology/oncology program will be temporarily suspended effective Nov. 1 when the program's sole doctor, Mark Musselman, transitions to general pediatrics, said Gretchen Robbins, Carle public relations director. The suspension is because of this transition and is not a budget-cutting move, Robbins said.

The program has about 20 active patients, although 400 to 600 children have received treatment in the past four years. Robbins said about nine children from McLean County have received treatment at the program in recent months.

Referral decisions will be made by Musselman or the children's primary care physician and family. Robbins said Musselman will continue to follow some patients while others will be referred to pediatric hematology/oncology programs in Peoria, Indianapolis, Chicago or St. Louis.

Paul Kramer, president of Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria, is aware of the transition at Carle.

"We are happy to see patients," Kramer said. "Children's Hospital has recently been contacted by the head of pediatrics at Carle and preliminary discussions have taken place, but no commitments have been made at this point."

Robbins said Carle is seeking ways to "re-invent" services for children with cancer but won't announce details until a plan is in place.

Four employees will be affected, Robbins said. Carle is trying to help them find work elsewhere at the hospital.

The Carle program began in 2004 and Musselman has been its sole physician provider. He - with the support of a nurse-practitioner and others - built a "wonderful program," Robbins said. The program grew enough to be more than a single physician could handle but not enough to support two full-time physicians, Robbins said. Musselman, after discussion with Carle over the future of the program, decided to transition to general pediatrics, she said.