From left: Stephanie Lehrman, LCSW, Jessica Fernandez, PA, Marissa Senise, NP, Jorge Gomez, MD, Andrea Wolf, MD, MPH, Kenneth Rosenzweig, MD, and Thomas Marron, MD, PhD.
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) selects four cancer care teams from around the world for a prestigious honor—the IASLC Cancer Care Team Award. And among those teams, the overall winner was from The Mount Sinai Hospital.
The association recognizes institutions in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia/Rest of the World that provide exceptional care for patients with lung cancer and thoracic malignancies. The Mount Sinai Hospital team, named below, received top honors in 2020.
- Andrea Wolf, MD, MPH, Director of the New York Mesothelioma Program and the Mount Sinai Women’s Lung Cancer Program
- Jorge Gomez, MD, Medical Director, Mount Sinai World Trade Center Oncology Clinic, Medical Director Solid Tumor Oncology Inpatient Unit, The Mount Sinai Hospital
- Jessica Fernandez, PA
- Marissa Senise, NP
- Thomas Marron, MD, PhD, Assistant Director of Immunotherapy and Early Phase Trials at The Tisch Cancer Institute
- Stephanie Lehrman, LCSW
- Kenneth Rosenzweig, MD, Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Winners are selected based upon nominations by patients and their families. The Mount Sinai team was nominated by two patients. Dan Purus was one of them. Dan had been diagnosed with lung cancer after an initial diagnosis and surgical treatment for kidney cancer. He was referred to Dr. Wolf by a friend, and she was by his side when he underwent a lung biopsy at The Mount Sinai Hospital and was the surgeon who later operated on him. Dan also underwent chemotherapy under the direction of Dr. Gomez. Because there is the possibility of metastasis to the brain, the team considered brain radiation, but the team and Dan agreed it would not be necessary at this time.
“I am blessed to have been treated by this team. It was clear they wanted the best outcome for me medically, but at the same time, they were always cognizant of my emotions; my feelings. They worked collaboratively as a team and always in partnership with me.” He adds, “They never made me feel as if I was bothering them. They were always interested in what I had to say, always there to answer my questions. Their actions calmed me and gave me confidence in the treatment plans and in my future.”
“Oftentimes delivery of patient care is at its best when multidisciplinary team members offer the patient seamless and informed communication, as well as an individualized treatment plan based on not just the patient’s needs but the patient’s wishes,” says Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, Executive Director of the Center for Thoracic Oncology in The Tisch Cancer Institute, and the Joe Lowe and Louis Price Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Wolf echoes this sentiment. “Patients’ input is critical to better outcomes in cancer care. Patients do better if they are partners in their care,” she says. She also is thrilled to work together with this group, who are experts in their fields. “I feel so lucky to be a part of this team.”