In accordance with oral history best practices, this transcript was intentionally created to preserve the conversational language of the interview sessions. (Language has not been edited to conform to written prose).
The interview subject was given the opportunity to review the transcript. Any requested editorial changes are indicated in brackets [ ], and the audio file has not correspondingly altered.
Redactions to the transcript and audio files may have been made in response to the interview subject’s request or to eliminate personal health information in compliance with HIPAA.
The views expressed in this interview are solely the perspective of the interview subject. They are not to be interpreted as the official view of any other individual or of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
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Chapter 15: A Key Publication: Making Cancer History
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Mr. Stuyck tells the story of how Making Cancer History, a history of MD Anderson came to be written. Dr. James Olsen, a historian at Sam Houston State University, originally approached Dr. James Bowen with the idea, however the Management Board under Dr. Charles LeMaistre had no enthusiasm for the project.
Mr. Stuyck speculates on why this was the case, then goes on to trace how the Historical Resources Committee was created under Dr. Stephen Tomasovic, with a first goal of producing a history of the institution. He explains the lengthy process of looking for a writer and the eventual hiring of Dr. Olsen, as well as securing Johns Hopkins University Press to publish it.
Mr. Stuyck recalls that he and Stephen Tomasovic [Oral History Interview] both read the manuscript.
Mr. Stuyck says that Making Cancer History is a great book that tells history in a human way. He also talks about his favorite chapter. Next he next talks about what it meant for the institution to have a book that celebrates the culture. He speaks about the number of documents James Olsen reviewed as part of his research, the committee members who worked on it, and what was done to promote it.
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Chapter 16: Changes at MD Anderson
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Mr. Stuyck gives an overview of the changes he has seen at the institution over the course of his career. He notes that people in the past worked just as hard as they do now, but worked differently. He talks about the dramatic expansions to ambulatory care and patient care in general and the improvement of quality of life issues for patients. He makes some observations on cultural changes and the increasing interest in work/life balance. He then talks about the plan to merge the University of Texas Health Science Center with MD Anderson, a move that was resisted to preserve the institutions mission and resources.
Mr. Stuyck also talks about changes that Dr. John Mendelsohn brought to the institution, particularly the dramatic growth, for which the institution is now paying the price, he says.
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Chapter 17: The Murder of Dr. Fred: A Challenge for Public Affairs and the Institution
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Mr. Stuyck talks about the day that Dr. Fred G. Conrad, Vice President for Patient Care, was fatally shot (17 December 1982). He recalls Elmer Gilley calling him early Friday morning, and he went to MD Anderson to wait for the police and the coroner and to handle the reporters.
Mr. Stuyck recalls how calmly Dr. LeMaistre handled the situation and helped calm the tension. He then talks about how Public Affairs handled the media, noting that the crisis brought out the best in people at the institution. He describes Dr. Conrad and explains why his murder was a "seminal moment" in the institution. He ends with a story about a woman who had flown into town to be interviewed for a job, arriving at MD Anderson to discover "bedlam" so she returned to New York.
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Chapter 18: Departments Within Public Affairs
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Mr. Stuyck talks about four departments within Public Affairs: Volunteer Services, the Children's Art Project, Public Education, and Patient Education. He begins with Volunteer Services, a service within MD Anderson that goes back to the 1950s. He then talks about Page Lawson, a director who greatly expanded Volunteer Services in the 1970s. He explains how he came to oversee the Department and tells a story about Tommie Stewart, a volunteer known as "the Hug Lady." He notes that MD ANdserson has 1200 volunteers who contribute the equivalent of 100 full time employees. He mentions the series of directors leading up to Page Lawson, whom he calls "a dynamo." Mr. Stuyck explains the lesson he learned from Page Lawson about remembering the names of volunteers.
Mr. Stuyck next talks about the Department of Patient Education, created by Dr. Charles LeMaistre. He explains how it came from the first patient satisfaction survey conducted in the 1980s. Dr. LeMaistre used the results of the survey to add valet parking, patient advocates, and patient education functions.
Mr. Stuyck explains changes in the reporting structure that came about with these changes, as well as the database that evolved to support patient education activities. He sketches the types of materials produced and who works on them. Next Mr. Stuyck talks about the Children's Art Project, beginning with an anecdote: Page Lawson showed him children's drawings arranged on an ironing board and asked him which ones would make a good card. He talks about his decision to separate the Art Project from Volunteer Services.
Mr. Stuyck describes what the Children's Art Project contributes to MD Anderson. He explains that it gives the institution a chance to talk about its successes. He notes how the Children's Art Project has come to be part of the MD Anderson brand.
Mr. Stuyck then tells the story of how the Public Education Department started. He comments on his colleagues in the Division of Public Affairs. Finally, Mr. Stuyck talks about what the Department of Public Education does for ME Anderson.
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Chapter 19: A Fun Job at an Institution that Inspires Commitment
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Mr. Stuyck speaks briefly about some constraints he felt for his activities at MD Anderson. He notes the commitment employees at MD Anderson feel for what they do and how much job satisfaction employees have.
Mr. Stuyck speaks briefly about receiving the Anderson Network Award. He also notes that the Division of Public Affairs is one of only three institutions that have twice received recognition as an Outstanding Public Affairs Program. He briefly talks about the book that he received on his retirement, Steve Stuyck, the MD Anderson Years, and clarifies two mysterious references in that book. He then notes that his is most proud to have started the Cancer Information and Public Information services, both of which were groundbreaking at the time. He is also very proud that he engaged the institution's first public relations group. Next Mr. Stuyck talks about what MD Anderson has given him over the years: a rewarding and fun job. At the end of the interview he notes that he gave his job "his all" and hopes that MD Anderson will continue to lift the "huge burden" that cancer represents.
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Chapter 09: Public Affairs at MD Anderson: Supporting Cancer Prevention and Education
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Mr. Stuyck begins this chapter talking about a joint project between Public Affairs and the Division of Cancer Prevention. He provides context, explaining that Dr. Bernard Levin (Vice President of Cancer Prevention, [Oral History Interview]) was approached by Channel 13 to do a promotion of the new fecal test for colon cancer screening. He explains how the project turned into a research project supported by SmithKline as well as a public service initiative. Nine thousand people participated in a study to compare fecal testing methods. Laboratory Medicine helped, but Public Affairs organized volunteers to read the cards. This study was eventually published.
Mr. Stuyck explains his axiom that "good public education is the best public relations. He then describes how he used that axiom to make decisions about public affairs is
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Chapter 10: R. Lee Clark and Charles LeMaistre
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Mr. Stuyck notes that MD Anderson has been strong because of the continuity of its CEOs. He notes that the institution's first full-time president, Dr. R. Lee Clark, had a solid public relations staff; he also focused on international activities.
Mr. Stuyck tells an anecdote about accompanying Dr. Clark to a television interview prior to his retirement.
Mr. Stuyck then talks about Dr. Charles LeMaistre [Oral History Interview], noting that he was erudite and chose his words carefully. Dr. LeMaistre also improved the look of MD Anderson and enhanced the clinical environment.
Mr. Stuyck notes that paying patients would go to other institutions, but Dr. LeMaistre's initiatives made MD Anderson more attractive, and turned that around. He says that Dr. LeMaistre was very effective at representing the institution to the public. He also contributed to the institution in many ways. One was by making the controversial move of starting the Division of Cancer Prevention. Dr. LeMaistre also led the initiative to change legislation to patients could self-refer. He explains why attitudes of physicians outside of MD Anderson made self-referral controversial at the time.
Mr. Stuyck notes that the transition to self-referral was very smooth.
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Chapter 11: John Mendelsohn: MD Anderson's Secret Weapon
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Mr. Stuyck begins this chapter on John Mendelsohn [Oral History Interview] by noting that he was a "dark-horse candidate" for president. He describes the interview process and how administrators were invited to participate. During an interview session, Mr. Stuyck found Dr. Mendelsohn to be very "energetic and wiry." Mr. Stuyck notes that MD Anderson had been ranked second to Memorial Sloan Kettering, but that changed under John Mendelsohn. He says the Dr. Mendelsohn arrived at just the right time in the institution's history: he describes Dr. Mendelsohn as "MD Anderson's secret weapon." He tells an anecdote about giving Dr. Mendelsohn advice"which he ignored.
Mr. Stuyck then talks about Dr. Mendelsohn's difficulties with the media during two conflict of interest cases involving his involvement with Imclone and Enron.
Mr. Stuyck explains how he prepared Dr. Mendelson for interviews with the media. He then describes how Dr. Mendelsohn handled his interview with a reporter from KTRK-TV, Channel 13, Wayne Dolcefino, about expenditures for furniture and art: Dr. Mendelsohn was very forthright and convincing, and the reporter let the story slide without publishing it. He then tells a story about a trip to Washington, D.C. for interviews at the Washington Post and PBS.
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Chapter 13: The Changing Organization of Public Affairs
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
A conversation about Cancer Bulletin, published through Scientific Publications, leads to a discussion of how and why Public Affairs has been reorganized over the years.
Mr. Stuyck says there are rumors that it will be reorganized again, under Dr. DePinho. As an example of reorganization, Mr. Stuyck talks about the Place of Wellness, which he originally managed until he decided he was not in a position to make the necessary medical decisions, so it became the Integrated Medicine Program directed by Dr. Lorenzo Cohen.
Mr. Stuyck also talks about the unique roles of JoAnn Ward and Louise Villejo [Oral History Interview].
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Chapter 14: Public Affairs and Communication Tools
Steve C. Stuyck MPH and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Mr. Stuyck first talks about The Messenger, the first employee communication tool, which has been published for forty years. Next he discusses Conquest, a publication designed to generate awareness of MD Anderson among opinion leaders, donors, and corporate executives.
Mr. Stuyck talks about how Conquest was started and how it tells the MD Anderson story. He tells an anecdote about putting a donor envelope inside of Conquest with no accompanying solicitation for funds: the envelope alone has generated three million dollars (never less than $25,000 per issue). Next Mr. Stuyck talks about Cancer NewsLine, a series of video news releases launched in 1986 to provide media with news about cancer research and treatment. He describes the impact of these on the institution's reputation. He then talks about the Network Newsletter, launched in 1988 and mailed to all former patients ("a lifeline to the institution"), then moves on to the CancerWise Community Speaker's Bureau and MD Anderson Ambassadors programs, through which MD Anderson employees go into the community to talk about cancer issues. He notes that many within higher levels of the institution were at first suspicious of employees going out into the community.
Mr. Stuyck then talks about the "Too Cool to Smoke" program for kindergarten through fourth graders. Lastly he talks about Contributions to Making Cancer History (first published in 2007), launched because Dr. John Mendelsohn wanted to address the frequent question What are specific advances that MD Anderson has made against cancer? Mr. Stuyck explains how the approximately 100 advances were compiled and selected, and how Scientific Publications helped edit it to ensure its credibility.
Mr. Stuyck notes that this is a unique document among academic institutions: the content is now on the website, with about 150 advances included. At the end of this session, Mr. Stuyck tells a story to demonstrate Dr. John Mendelsohn's communication skills.
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Chapter 01: A Child with a Different Perspective
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Sumler talks about her early realization that she had a different perspective on life than other children her age. She talks about her early affinity for nature when was a child in Connecticut, her fascination with questions about the universe and intuitive grasp of non-duality. She tells an anecdote about how her father would joke with her, inadvertently supporting her growing perspective. She then talks about discovering the Daoist koans, yoga and pranayamic breathing.
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Chapter 02: Scoliosis Changes Life and Perspective
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Sumler begins this chapter by noting that she initially aspired to be a dancer. She then narrates the progression of her scoliosis through the seventies and after her spine fusion surgery in 1976 and shares several stories of significant physical and psychological events. She talks about the grieving she had to do because of the blow scoliosis dealt to her identity as a dancer and describes her process of coming to accept her new physical state and identity.
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Chapter 03: Exploring Massage and Raja Yoga; Cancer is a New Health Challenge
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Sumler begins this chapter by explaining that she became interested in massage during the year she spent in bed after her spinal surgery for scoliosis and was learning about alternative treatments. She also talks about joining a raja yoga community because of her desire to live a spiritual life; her yogi was the source of her name, Sat Siri, and her yoga teaching practice at Yoga Central. She then talks about her diagnosis with melanoma and describes undertaking yogic death practices to confront this challenge.
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Chapter 04: Massage and Cancer Patients: A Contemplative Practice
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Sumler begins this chapter describing how she began to practice massage in 1986 and tells stories to illustrate how "massage is artistic expression." She also notes some myths in the massage community at that time, e.g. that massaging cancer patients would spread their disease through their bodies. Ms. Sumler questioned this belief and decided to know more about massage and cancer. At the same time, family and friends were referring clients with cancer to her for massage. She explains technical aspects of her work with cancer patients.
Next, Ms. Sumler explains how she came in contact with Integrative Medicine at MD Anderson. She describes how she felt a "sense of calling" when she was at the institution. She was first invited to come and teach yoga, but that opportunity didn't work out. -
Chapter 05: Bringing Massage to the Place of Wellness and Integrative Medicine
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Sumler explains that she eventually was offered a contract position to offer chair massages for "brief relaxation" in patient waiting areas. She explains why the massage was labeled in that way and talks about progress made in creating an inviting space for patients at the Place of Wellness. She also discusses training she received in massage therapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2002.
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Chapter 06: Massage: Benefits to Patients
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Sumler talks about what massage offers the cancer patient and tells several stories about patients' reactions to massage. She also discusses the supportive attitude of many MD Anderson clinicians, particularly in rehabilitative and supportive care. She notes that to document the safety of massage in the first three years of the massage program, she took patients' vital signs before and after massage.
Next, Ms. Sumler talks briefly about the value of yoga for oncology patients. She ends this chapter with comments about how massage makes her contemplative practices manifest. -
Chapter 07: Training Massage Therapists and Building Institutional Acceptance for Massage
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Sumler talks about her work building a training program for massage therapists. She talks about the importance of critical thinking for massage therapists who have been trained to work with healthy populations. She gives examples of how critical thinking comes in to work with cancer patients. She says, "you are not taught what you don't know, and that's what you need to not harm someone."
Next, Ms. Sumler gives examples of how MD Anderson staff have accepted massage as part of a patient's experience and treatment. -
Chapter 08: Patient Acceptance (or Non-Acceptance) of Massage Therapy
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Sumler talks about why patients in general may resist getting massage, and how cancer patients deal with special issues of vulnerability in massage. She also talks about the positive impact of massage on patients, recounting anecdotes to underscore the role of massage in reconnecting patients positively with their bodies. She also discusses how positive personal experiences with massage can lead patients to consider other complementary services, and vice versa.
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Chapter 09: Clinician Acceptance (or Non-Acceptance) of Massage Therapy
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Sumler talks about why clinicians may refuse to send their patients for therapeutic massage, usually out of a lack of information about how specifically this type of massage is tailored to the needs and limitations of patients undergoing specific treatments. She gives examples of how she and others in massage therapy opened communications with clinicians to provide education and overcome resistance.
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Chapter 10: Contributing to Research on the Value of Massage
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Sumler sketches her participation in research into the value of massage for patients with peripheral neuropathy and deep vein thrombosis. She also discusses how her own perspective on massage changed through these collaborations. She explains how one study led to a change in the organization of the scheduling of massage.
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Chapter 11: A Few Words about Yoga and Views on MD Anderson's New Directions
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Sumler begins this chapter by speaking briefly about teaching yoga at MD Anderson and how acceptance of that service has grown.
Next, she reflects on the new direction MD Anderson seems to be taking under Dr. Peter Pisters, who became the institution's fifth president after Ronald DePinho's resignation. CLIP She says she feels that "a new light is shining" and she sees a new commitment to the institution's commitment to care and compassion and its mission to support both patients and employees. She has hopes that acceptance of Integrative Medicine will continue to grow. -
Chapter 12: Reflections on Contributions and on the Art of Massage, Meditation, and Teaching
Pamela Sat Siri Sumler and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Sumler reflects on the contributions that have meant the most to her and stresses that she loves to learn, and will continue to expand her knowledge of therapeutic massage during the rest of her time at the institution. At the end of the interview, she talks about her core identity as a meditation practitioner and an artist. She explains how these two currents combine her view of yoga, teaching, and massage as art forms.
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Chapter 01: The Making Cancer History® Voices Oral History Project
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic provides an overview of the Historical Resources Center –which he founded-- and the Making Cancer History Voices Oral History Project that it oversees.
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Chapter 02: Vietnam Trains an Administrator
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic talks sketches his educational background and describes the significance of his military service. Drafted as a college senior, his service in Military Intelligence during the Vietnam War not only gave him focus for his later graduate studies, but also strengthened specific characteristics and skills that would eventually suit him to a career in administration.
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Chapter 03: Choosing Cancer Research
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic traces the evolution of his interests in graduate school, eventually leading him to focus on cancer research.
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Chapter 04: Joining the Department of Tumor Biology at MD Anderson
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic talks about coming to MD Anderson in 1980 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Tumor Biology (now Molecular and Cellular Biology). He explains that this was the period when Dr. Charles LeMaistre [Oral History Interview] and Dr. Frederick Becker [Oral History Interview] were bolstering the basic sciences. He explains how he re-evaluated his career, and shifted toward a focus on administration.
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Chapter 05: The Cancer Biology Program
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Tomasovic begins this segment with comments on MD Anderson’s perceived weaknesses in basic research. He talks about the important role that graduate students serve in driving research at an institution and how they were integrated into departments at MD Anderson. He then describes his first “forays into leadership”: e.g. during 1986-’88 he created and directed the multi-disciplinary Program in Cancer Biology (first called Interdisciplinary Studies in Cancer Biology) in the Graduate School in Biomedical Sciences.
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Chapter 06: Fostering Innovation and Multi-disciplinary Research
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic talks about how interdisciplinary work –at MD Anderson and in general-- is crucial to treating cancer and fostering creativity in research.
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Chapter 07: Academic Affairs: Administrative Structure and the Role of the Vice President
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic provides an overview of the administrative structure of the Division of Academic Affairs and his responsibilities as Senior Vice President.
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Chapter 08: An Ability to Work With and Within Structure
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic reflects on his leadership style and how this has facilitated his effectiveness. He notes how he came to the attention of James Bowen, then Vice President for Academic Affairs, who worked with him in creating the Faculty Senate (Dr. Tomasovic was the first Chair, ’91-93), and who appointed him Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (1994). The session closes with a sketch of the institutional flux in play during 1998 when Dr. Mendelsohn [Oral History Interview] assumed leadership of MD Anderson.
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Chapter 09: The MD Anderson Presidents: Continuity of Leadership
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Tomasovic begins this segment with the observation that MD Anderson is unusual because of the long tenure of its key leaders and administrators. He characterizes the three presidents and gives examples of how the institution successfully met the managed care crisis. He notes that the institution has faced strong, external financial challenges at the transitions between Dr. LeMaistre and Dr. Mendelsohn and Dr. Mendelsohn and Dr. DePinho.
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Chapter 10: A Lesson About Leadership and an Institutional Blind Spot
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Tomasovic shares a story that taught him lessons about leadership.
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Chapter 11: Institutional Reorganization and Becoming Vice President of Academic Affairs
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Tomasovic begins this segment by sketching the administrative restructuring that occurred when Dr. John Mendelsohn arrived as institution president. He also described Dr. Margaret Kripke's [Oral History Interview] plans for restructuring Academic Affairs' and his role in this process. Dr. Tomasovic notes that Dr. Kripke expected him to iron out a range of difficulties arising among faculty.
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Chapter 12: The Education Council, Sister Institutions, and Views On Leading Faculty
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic gives numerous examples of how he has built educational culture at MD Anderson through, for the formation of The Education Council (2001), strengthening faculty development initiatives, serving as Vice President of Extramural Programs (to become Global Academic Programs).
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Chapter 13: The Faculty Senate and a Vision of Faculty Influence
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Tomasovic begins this chapter by sketching the history of the Faculty Senate. He discusses term-tenure then expands on the idea that the Faculty Senate was part of a larger vision of building faculty control over the governance of the institution. Dr. Tomasovic also explains how he came to found the Faculty Leadership Academy (1991), devoted to nurturing leadership qualities of faculty.
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Chapter 14: A Mark Left on Education and Faculty Achievement
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
This interview takes place a few weeks before Dr. Tomasovic’s retirement. Dr. Tomasovic closes the session with comments on his hopes that MD Anderson preserves its educational mission, which distinguishes it from other care-delivery institutions. He also hopes that his efforts to foster leadership among the faculty will endure.
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Chapter 15: Serving as Special Assistant to Dr. Oliver Bogler
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic talks about his role as Special Assistant to the Provost. Dr. Tomasovic begins by describing the transition-support role he will serve in the coming year, assisting Dr. Oliver Bogler, who took over Dr. Tomasovic’s position as Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. He discusses how he and Dr. Bogler are finding ways to link activities in Academic Affairs to the mission of the new MD Anderson president, Dr. Ronald DePinho. He gives examples of how he and Dr. Bogler are streamlining the bureaucracy of Academic Affairs to help faculty and graduate students as well as supporting Dr. DePinho’s mission.
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Chapter 16: Changing Institutional Focus Under a New President
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Tomasovic begins this segment by comparing the leadership styles of John Mendelsohn [Oral History Interview] and Dr. DePinho, whose charisma, decisiveness and vision are reminiscent, he feels, of R. Lee Clark. Dr. Tomasovic talks about the impact of Dr. DePihno’s “Town Hall” session on 7 November 2011, when he announced that MD Anderson will now take a Moon Shot approach to curing cancer, focusing on five specific cancers (not yet announced). Dr. Tomasovic speculates on the cultural shifts this focused mission will create, influencing the commitment to global oncology, and educational programs.
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Chapter 17: Academic Programs under a New President
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic notes Dr. DePinho’s commitment to graduate education and research. He describes the many discussions currently taking place in Academic Affairs to insure that all activities are in line with the new directions the institution is taking. He this segment with comments on his optimism that Dr. DePinho will steer the institution in positive directions.
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Chapter 18: Travel, Photography, and a Story about Meerkats
Stephen Tomasovic PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic talks about his retirement, noting that he has more energy now that he can spend more time taking care of himself. He talks about getting back into the photography and he has planned several of the eco-travel trips he and his wife enjoy, including a trip to India to see tigers. He tells an amusing anecdote connected to a photo snapped of him during his first trip to Africa: he is reclining in a meerkat colony, with meerkats perched on his hat and hip. He tells of sending that photo for use at the awards banquet when he was elected to the UT Academy of Health Science Education. Popping up amid the formal shots of other awardees, his photo caused a lot of reaction among the attendees. At the interview’s close, he returns to the subject of Dr. DePihno, noting that the focus on institutional growth caused MD Anderson to lose some of its connection to people –a key part of the culture that R. Lee Clark established. Dr. DePinho’s “common touch,” he believes, will help turn the culture of MD Anderson back to those roots. In this segment, Dr. Tomasovic also talks about the human side of R. Lee Clark.
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Chapter 05: Gender Issues at MD Anderson and the Creation of Advocacy and Equity Services for Women A: The Administrator
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Travis explains how a movement to address women’s issues began in the eighties. The University of Texas System had convened a Commission on Women and Minorities. She also notes that Dr. Margaret Kripke, a major player in these events, came to MD Anderson in 1983. Dr. Kripke put together a small, ad hoc group to work on the status of women at MD Anderson. Included were: Elizabeth Travis, Lillian Fuller, and Judy Watson (Dr. Charles LeMaistre’s “right hand”). They conducted a study (1984) and found inequities: unequal pay for women; women took longer to be promoted, women were not serving on committees or as department chairs or in high-profile positions. Dr. Kripke took the data to Dr. LeMaistre and the Vice President of Research, Dr. Frederick Becker. She notes that women themselves were generally not aware of the inequities prior to the report. Next, the ad hoc group started the Women Faculty Organization to work for access to opportunities for women. She explains why it was important that senior women comprised the core groups. She also reflects on how the activities of the group were received.
Dr. Travis next talks about the rationale for putting together the book, Legends and Legacies, one of the first projects of the Office of Women Faculty Programs.
Dr. Travis tells a story about a table in the dining room of the Clark Clinic where men always ate their lunch. She recalls a day when the women involved in the Women Faculty Organization reserved it, much to the men’s shock. She talks about how humor was important as she and others worked for visibility for women. She tells how the “dining table” incident developed and showed a shift in the culture.
Next, Dr. Travis explains how the Office of Women Faculty Programs operates, stressing that women alone cannot make these changes to culture, the men in the institution must also be engaged. She talks about some measures of success: e.g. in 2007, nine out of the eleven faculty receiving faculty achievement awards were women. She goes on to talk more about the evolution of the early movement to address gender issues, when the faculty group was expanded to include women on the administrative side, as changes were not happening fast enough. In 1996, Dr. Travis observes, another survey was conducted about women in leadership confirming few women in high positions. At that point, Dr. Travis notes, Dr. Margaret Kripke was Chief Academic Officer and was in a position to correct inequities and identify rising-star women. Dr. Kripke was also on the point of retiring and concerned that she would leave a vacuum at the leadership table. (She was the first and only woman to date to sit on the President’s executive committee.) Dr. Travis explains that Dr. Kripke hired consultants (Wanda Wallace and one other consultant) to suggest plans of action. The idea for a dedicated office addressing women’s issues was formed. Dr. Travis applied for the position (and she explains why she decided to slow down her research career at this point), as she had always been passionate about gender issues.
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Chapter 06: The Office of Women Faculty Programs: Activities and Challenges
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter, Dr. Travis describes some of the main projects developed through the Office of Women Faculty Programs (which opened in 2007). She begins by describing the book, Legends and Legacies (published 2008), that brought together personal narratives written by MD Anderson’s key women scientists and clinicians. She notes that she worked with Mary Jane Schier, Steve Stuyck, and Maria Dungler in the Public Affairs Office. She also explains the rationale behind the photograph best associated with the book: a group photo of the featured women dressed in cocktail dresses. She notes that it was inspired by an Annie Liebowitz photograph, but also notes that the group photo stresses that “We have to build communities of women.” She describes the book launch events and the impact of the book on the institution, noting that the book put a different and more human face on the women of the organization.
Next Dr. Travis describes several early activities of Women Faculty programs, including the website and its monthly online feature, “Women Leading the Way.” She also describes setting up the Kripke Legend Award to honor people who promote and women: it is a highly competitive in cancer medicine and is awarded to women and to men.
Next Dr. Travis describes reactions to the Office’s activities: “Male colleagues were not happy,” and Dr. Travis explains that she was described as “too strident.” There are still naysayers, she observes. Next she describes how she learned to address complaints after a particularly difficult set of personal attacks. She went to Dan Fontaine in the UT System for advice. He said, “Do a survey of Division and Department heads about Women Faculty Programs.” She explains the results and discusses how important it was that she reported the results at the Research Council and Clinical Council –transparency that did a great deal to change the tone of reactions to her work.
Dr. Travis explains that the Office of Women Faculty Programs is an independent office that reports directly to the Provost.
Dr. Travis stresses that the focus of the Office of Women Faculty Programs is to promote women into leadership positions. She explains that women leaders bring a different perspective and different problem-solving strategies to institutions when they are in leadership roles.
Dr. Travis explains some of the changes in culture she has observed at MD Anderson: for example, men on search committees now will say, “There are no women.” Dr. Travis then explains that many people resist thinking about gender as an issue because they feel they are being accused of not being fair-minded. At the end of this session, she talks about how she handles this and how the institution has changed.
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Chapter 1: A Passion for Science Leads to Radiation Physics
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter, Dr. Travis talks about her family background and the educational track that led her to a career in radiation physics. She explains that she is a second generation Italian-American raised in the small town of Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Her family owned a bar/restaurant and she grew up working in there from an early age, developing her work ethic in the process. Though her parents had only finished high school, both insisted that their children go to college.
Dr. Travis notes that she knew very early that she was interested in the sciences, but observes that ideas about careers for women at that time were very limited, and she thought of becoming a dancer or a flight attendant until tenth grade (at Westinghouse Memorial High School). At that point her biology teacher, Mr. Smith, had a great mentoring influence. She describes how Mr. Smith brought together all the science-focused students in her class into a community (where gender was not an issue). He helped her parents understand that she should go to college for the sciences, though she was encouraged to become a teacher at that point.
Dr. Travis attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania (B.S. 1965) and notes influences important during this period, including a course in radiation physics and an opportunity she took to work in a radiation physics laboratory at the University of Pittsburg during a summer. Dr. Travis explains her decision to go to graduate school for her Masters program. She mentions her marriage at the end of her first year in graduate school and how that influenced the path of her early career, taking her to South Carolina.
Dr. Travis talks about her involvement in training and the satisfaction she take in developing young minds. She shares her philosophy of mentoring: listening to identify where an individual needs help, offering constructive advice when needed.
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Chapter 2: Choosing Opportunities to Develop a Research Career: A Growing Awareness of Gender Issues
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter, Dr. Travis explains that she was working as a Research Associate in the Department of Radiation Health, (1965−1967) Radiobiology Laboratories, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA) when she realized that she missed the laboratory. She accepted a position that involved teaching and starting up a laboratory at the Department of Radiology at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC, 1968−1971). >P>Dr. Travis recounts a story that she often tells women to demonstrate how women professionals often don’t believe in themselves. She explains that she was offered a position teaching and starting up a laboratory for the Department of Radiology at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, (1968−1971). She first turned the job down. “I had PhDs telling me I could do the job, but I didn’t believe it.” She immediately regretted the decision and called back the next day, taking on that challenge as well as the opportunity to work for her Ph.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Next Dr. Travis talks about her evolving awareness of gender issues. She explains that she had always been aware of gender. She notes that she attended a very good high school (Westinghouse Memorial High School) where she felt that boys and girls were treated equally. She also notes family influences on her sense of equality. Dr. Travis then talks about how the sixties and limitations on women that are unimaginable now.
Dr. Travis also recounts an experience of sexism she had in the Department of Radiation Therapy at the Medical College of South Carolina. She had been hired to set up a laboratory, however when the head of the department hired a man to assist her, he offered this inexperienced new hire $4000.00 more in salary than Dr. Travis was paid “because he had a family and children.” Her salary was increased by $4000 (but no more). “We think it’s a meritocracy,” Dr. Travis says. “But it’s not true. You have to know how to promote yourself.”
Dr. Travis next tells about her decision to go overseas after completing her PhD. The University of South Carolina wanted her to stay, but she wanted to develop her research career and applied for post-doctoral programs, taking a position in London as a Research Scientist (lecturer) in the Department of Radiation Biology at the Mount Vernon Hospital Gray Laboratory (Northwood, Middlesex, United Kingdom, 1976−1979). Dr. Travis explains that the Gray Laboratory was a “Mecca” of radiation therapy and she was selected for their postdoctoral program because of her work on radiation and normal tissue.
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Chapter 3: The Start of a Research Career on the Effects of Radiation on Normal Lung Tissue
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter, Dr. Travis explains how her research career really began between 1976−1979, when she was a Research Scientist/Lecturer at the Gray Laboratory (Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, United Kingdom). She notes that “they took a chance on her,” as she had never been awarded a grant, but they saw potential and recognized that she had knowledge of lung pathology and radiation therapy. This was key, as the field of radiation therapy was starting to focus on the effects of radiation on normal tissue. Dr. Travis lists the researchers who were at the Gray lab at that time. She talks about the atmosphere and notes some lessons in mentoring she received from the laboratory head, Jack Fowler.
Next, Dr. Travis describes a collaborative project she undertook to develop a non-invasive assay of lung tissue after irradiation that involved measuring the breathing rates of mice as they developed lung damage from radiation therapy. She describes the rationale of the study as well as the challenges of measuring the breathing rate of mice. She describes the device she and her colleagues developed to measure breathing rates (see Figure One) and notes that this was the first time that anyone had measured breathing rates as animals developed lung damage from radiation.
Next she notes that it was very hard to get the field to accept the findings and describes how she and her colleagues addressed this by arranging for their measurements to be confirmed. With that evidence gathered, their paper was published (1977/78). Dr. Travis next describes one regret: that she didn’t patent this device and another (described below): both have been picked up by companies and are still being sold thirty years later.
Next Dr. Travis describes the “jig” she developed to immobilize non-anaesthetized mice for irradiation (see Figure 2). This was developed to simulate how patients are irradiated in the clinic and Dr. Travis explains how they were working with fractionated doses.
Dr. Travis goes on to describe more of her work at the Gray Laboratory and why it was such an ideal environment. She talks about the goals she had set to achieve in London and notes that at the end of her three years there, she had an independent research career.
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Chapter 4: Furthering a Research Career at MD Anderson
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Travis begins this Chapter by explaining that she was aware of MD Anderson throughout her career. After her post-doctoral fellowship at the Gray Laboratory, she was recruited to serve as Cancer Expert at the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 1979−1982) and she was recruited by Lester Peters for MD Anderson in 1982. Next Dr. Travis explains how her work on radiation damage to normal lung tissue in mice had implications for patient care. She describes some experiments conducted to explore radio-protectors, radio-sensitization, and strategies for changing the fractionation of beams to do less tissue damage. She undertook this work at MD Anderson and mentions individuals she worked with and the seminal data produced showing that it was better to use a lot of radiation on a small area of tissue to do the least damage to normal disuse.
Dr. Travis notes that she came to MD Anderson as an Associate Professor and she was the only woman in the Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology. She describes the department as very vibrant, one of the best in the field, and she brought her focus on normal tissue, which no one else was researching at the time. She also observes that the Department “took a chance” on her, as she had no grant funding at the time. However her first R01 grant proposal was funded; she also had a program project grant.
Dr. Travis describes how writing grant proposals helped her develop as a researcher during her first years at MD Anderson. She explains how a grant proposal creates a road map for an experiment and forces the researcher to articulate hypotheses and think about a research question in a holistic way. “You see it from 35,000 feet,” she says.
Dr. Travis compares her experience at MD Anderson with the environment at the NCI.
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Chapter 09: Research and Grants Related to Gender and Diversity
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter Dr. Travis describes her grant supported work on gender and diversity projects. She begins by describing the “Gatekeepers and Gender Schemas” project (run through the Office of Women Faculty Programs) –a real-time study of recruitment in the sciences. She also describes her contributions to an NIH U54 Partnership Grant in which MD Anderson is partnering with the University of Puerto Rico to build a cancer research center, a cancer hospital, and to train physicians and researchers. Dr. Travis is a PI on that grant and on the training program. She describes why she enjoys working with students and also what is involved in the training program. The MD/PHD program, she says, is the “jewel in the crown” of the program and this summer its first two graduates will receive their degrees. She notes the commitment of the Puerto Rican students to return to their home country to practice.
[The recorder is paused briefly.]
Dr. Travis notes some differences in the way that gender issues play out in Puerto Rico and in the United Sttes, then describes how the project is administered. Next she observes that her interest in teaching, training, and developing young minds has worked underneath the surface of her career.
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Chapter 10: Personal Choices and a Philosophy about the Importance of Having a Career and A Personal Life
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Travis shares the name of her son, Scott Philips, whom she chose to have as a single parent. She goes on to talk about the issue of women, career and family, noting that she is tired of the question: “We aren’t over this yet.” She also says that it’s disturbing to her that this discussion usually focuses only on people with children. “Everyone deserves a personal life. We must provide people with time. Dr. Travis notes that her son is an “important legacy” for her to leave and she shares the advice she gives to women considering having children. She observes that the burden of child care still falls on women. Though more younger men are more involved, she still see vestiges of “old school” thinking even in younger men, citing what younger men say about women in leadership roles. Dr. Travis believes that the Office of Women Faculty Programs needs to develop a community of men discussing issues about life balance and personal life. She goes on to explain that careers in medicine and research demand obsession, obligation, and duty, but an individual must have down time to preserve resilience. She talks about her own interest in travel and the symphony and the pleasure she has taken in making friends around the world.
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Chapter 11: Setting up the Office of Women Faculty Programs
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter, Dr. Travis describes how she went about setting up an office that could create rapid results for women at MD Anderson. She first hired a data person, because “it’s all about the data.” She explains data is fundamental to all of the Office’s work, decisions about priorities, and role in debunking myths. She describes how her skills in presenting issues and responding to naysayers evolved as she set up the office. Next she explains the elements of the Office’s mission: to increase the visibility of women within the institution and beyond and to have an impact on policy. As an example of the latter role, she describes how the Office was instrumental in changing the policy on tenure clock extension for faculty with a new child. She also talks about the Office’s role in getting people to look at their unconscious biases: she does a lot of teaching about this issue, using a test developed at Harvard University for unconscious bias. She also discusses mentoring. Faculty Development runs the institution’s formal mentoring programs, however Women Faculty Programs addresses issues that this program misses, such as why women don’t like to promote themselves and the skills they lack in self-promotion. She quotes Walt Whitman: “Ya done it, you’re not bragging.” She also talks about training she does for men to help them understand that they must ask women questions.
Next Dr. Travis talks about the concept of “sponsorship.” She has published a paper on sponsorship and defines it in contrast to mentoring, explaining that it’s a business model that she is adapting to a medical/scientific concept. She intends to put together a sponsorship workshop at MD Anderson and will also develop a Women’s Leadership Network spanning all fifteen units of the University of Texas System, further breaking down barriers between faculty and administrative women.
Dr. Travis speaks about one project she has not yet been able to push through: Cultural competency training focused on gender for Department chairs. She explains the need and notes that this is on the calendar for August 2014. She intends this as a pilot program to see how it works.
Dr. Travis talks about the issues that cultural competency training would cover and stresses that she sees her role as helping department chairs develop the best of the best.
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Chapter 12: Leaving a Legacy of Visible Women
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Travis talks about the legacy she feels she will leave at MD Anderson: more women in leadership roles and communities of women who feel visible and recognized. She is particularly gratified by the community building and gives an example of how the Office supports growth of community. She also feels she has had an impact on male colleagues who are now aware of gender issues. Dr. Travis shares some milestones she would like to see accomplished before she retires.
Dr. Travis says she has no immediate plans to retire. She is “having too much fun” and she has worked since she was twelve and would need to have an outlet for her energy. She talks about Dr. Margaret Kripke, who retired for a time, then took on another position.
Dr. Travis makes some final comments about MD Anderson, where “what we do is truly remarkable.”
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Chapter 7: Women Faculty Programs: Its Beginnings; Awards for Progress Made
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter, Dr. Travis reviews the history leading to the formation of the ad hoc committee in the 80s tasked to evaluate the status of women and discusses some documents (not yet in the MD Anderson Archive) related to this history. She talks about the report produced by the Committee to Evaluate the Status of Women (1988/89). (She also has a copy of the report made to the institution by consultant Wanda Wallace, called in to advice how to address gender inequity.) She notes that MD Anderson has a better track record than most medical institutions in promoting women. She notes that MD Anderson received a Leadership Development Award in 2012 from the American Association of Medical Colleges: this recognized the body of work accomplished by the Office of Women Faculty Programs. Dr. Travis herself received this award as an individual in 2009. She outlines the accomplishments that have been made, among them an increase in women in leadership roles from 15% to 27%. Dr. Travis says this is a “model office” and that she speaks all over the country to talk about its structure and role.
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Chapter 8: Leading Change for Women; Women as Leaders
Elizabeth L. Travis PhD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this Chapter, Dr. Travis discusses the importance of developing leadership skills for women. She opens with the statement that one cannot leave leadership to luck: an individual must be noticed, be visible and prepared for opportunities. She then lists her formal leadership training experiences summarizes data gathered about these programs by Dr. Shine Chung and others confirming that they make a difference in helping women advance into leadership roles. She notes that the Office of Women Faculty Programs has money to send a number of women and some minority men to leadership programs each year. Next, Dr. Travis explains how her leadership training expanded her own skill set. She talks about how the training at Rice University trained her to deal with conflict situations that arose in 2003, when she was Chair of the Faculty Senate. She again stresses that leadership training gives women tools to navigate complex institutions, to self-promote, and to not only know the leadership theory, but to implement ideas.
Dr. Travis next tells a story about a nasty incident that arose during a meeting when men verbally and personally attacked her. She speaks about how shocked she felt and how her training enabled her to handle the situation. She observes that scientists are very accustomed to handling criticism and even attack when it comes to their work and data. But the skill set for handling personal attacks is different.
Dr. Travis next stresses that women must be prepared for opportunities and they must actually take them and not believe that they are not qualified. Dr. Travis defines the “imposter syndrome” that plagues women and discusses the fact that men and women are still perceived differently and that there is a much narrower band of acceptable behaviors for women in professional situations.
Next Dr. Travis turns to the qualities that women bring to organizations when they serve in leadership positions. She talks about women’s instinctive listening and collaboration skills, resulting in a different leadership style. She explains why this is needed (noting that the Sandusky sexual abuse scandal at Penn. State would not have occurred had women been involved).
Dr. Travis explains that complex problems require different points of view coming together to find solutions and that women bring valuable perspectives to the table. She also cites the importance of women as role models and the fact that women patients and the great numbers of women who serve in caregiving roles can connect to women in leadership positions. She describes a survey of research articles placed in journals: articles with women in the list of authors tend to be placed in higher impact journals.
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Chapter 01: An Interest in Moments of Turbulence Feeds an Approach to Leadership
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny begins by explaining that she is in the midst of writing a new job description for herself so she can begin to focus more exclusively on her major interest, leadership development. She mentions author Linda Hill's description of the transition into leadership positions as the equivalent of a big life transition. She goes on to reflect on her own qualities as a leader and an individual who has had to make many transitions, leading her to be "interested in moments of turbulence."
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Chapter 02: Establishing a New Department of Faculty Development
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny sketches how she came to MD Anderson in 1999 to establish a new Department of Faculty Development at a time when there was little research and literature on this new area. She mentions MD Anderson's reputation in the eighties as the "terminal hospital," where patients came to die, a feeling that persisted into the nineties. She sketches the history of unsuccessful leadership development offerings at the institution.
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Chapter 03: The First Successful Leadership Retreat Demonstrates Need for Faculty Development
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny explains that, in 2001, a team was put together to make a "last try" to set up a successful initiative. She discusses how the team went about creating a new faculty leadership program that would prove such an initiative could be effective and relevant to MD Anderson faculty. She sketches the process of finding the Executive Development Group. She explains that the team handpicked the sixteen people who would participate in the first retreat, held in The Woodlands. She notes that the response was immediate and unanimously positive and that the curriculum is still largely the same. She sketches other programs that came from that: the Administrative Leadership Program and the Heart of Leadership Program. Ms. Yadiny also begins to sketch how leadership initiatives at MD Anderson evolve within a politicized environment.
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Chapter 04: Faculty Development in a Politicized Context
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Yadiny talks about the political environment in which Faculty Development was established and has evolved. She shares anecdotes to illustrate.
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Chapter 05: Reflecting on Leadership Qualities
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Yadiny reflects on her own leadership qualities and discusses leadership in general. She tells another story of Marshall Hicks, head of the Division of Diagnostic Imaging, as an example of someone who has used the coaching services of Faculty Development to help him through leadership transitions and life transitions. She notes that the Executive Coaching service was established in 2008 to support new chairs and that Ethan Dmitrovsky is expanding coaching services. She notes that she earned her coaching certification. She lists her leadership traits (noting that she is a good idea person, "but this doesn't mean I'm a good manager") then talks about models of leadership she has discovered in her reading of literature. Ms. Yadiny then explains that, even though self-reflection is a key element of leadership training, many people "are terrified of it." She tells an anecdote that demonstrates how seemingly small issues can have a big impact on initiatives. Ms. Yadiny then notes that MD Anderson has had a "case study of leadership" over the past years, since Ronald DePinho came on a president. She notes that she would love to have a conversation with him about what he has learned about leadership and shares an anecdote that suggests he has been thinking about the subject.
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Chapter 06: A Wide Range of Interests Leads to Library School
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Yadiny talks about her family background and her educational path to Library School at McGill University. She talks about her love of reading, her skills with drawing and sports, and her love of life outdoors. She talks about the interests that led her to study literature at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada (BA in 1970) and her decision to go to McGill University in Montreal for her MLS (conferred 1973).
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Chapter 07: International Work and an Interest in Power Dynamics
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny discusses her early jobs with the Royal Society in London, then with the World Health Organization in Geneva, then in Tunisia. She tells anecdotes of the interesting characters she met in London; one of the stories allows her to demonstrate how she became interested in the master/slave relationship and how power factors into communication and power. She notes that she has encountered leaders who can be submissive or sadistic in their relationships with others. She describes the work she did in Geneva with the WHO, the lessons learned from her international experiences, and her reasons for leaving international work.
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Chapter 08: An Evolving Focus on Leadership Development
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Yadiny discusses the series of positions she held that solidified her focus on leadership development. She first talks about her work at the Houston Academy of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center Library ('79 - '90) where she did staff development programming and came to love working with leadership issues. She describes this as a "turning point in her life." She describes the positive work situation and the experience in leadership development she gained. [The recorder is paused.]
Next, Ms. Yadiny talks about her work at the University of Michigan in communications ('90 - '99). She was able to complete a year-long "Planned Change Internship" that enhanced her skills. She talks about meeting Larry Lippitt, whose at the time work provided a basis for the understanding of organization development and how individuals behave within groups. -
Chapter 09: Faculty Development: Offering Support in a Stressful Environment
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny discusses the stressful work culture at MD Anderson and the challenges that leaders face. She tells a story about a department chair who shed tears during a coaching session and a meeting with his department. She notes that the culture makes faculty members feel unsupported, and they come to Faculty Development for support. She also discusses cross-cultural issues that contribute to the stress, touching on issues that international faculty face and also on issues that arise because of U.S. regional, north/south, differences. She notes that the staff wields informal power, and gives examples of faculty women who have problems with staff members, who call them rude and demanding and often raise enough issues that the female faculty member "ends up in front of a Chair or HR." Ms. Yadiny notes that Faculty Development and the institution in general has not done enough to orient faculty to the southern dimensions of MD Anderson culture. She comments on the fact that 70% of employees are female, but MD Anderson "is a male institution." She comments on her own experience of gender issues and the slow progress made on addressing them since she began her professional life.
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Chapter 10: Changes in Academic Medicine over the Past Decades
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
After reflecting briefly on the discussion in Interview Session one, Ms. Yadiny sketches how academic medicine has changed in the past decades. She notes the increase of expenses, patient volume, and structural changes to the healthcare system as well as the increasing competition for research money. She gives examples of how these contextual issues play out in the lives of faculty and leader. Ms. Yadiny comments on the challenges of mentoring faculty in this environment. She states that Dr. Ronald DePinho has positively "raised the level of the discussion" about research at MD Anderson, noting that this is threatening to those who aren't of the highest caliber. Ms. Yadiny comments on the challenge of balancing a commitment to compassionate care with a forceful pursuit of hard-driving science. She notes that MD Anderson is a unique institution because it is an academic-corporate hybrid.
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Chapter 11: The First Several Years of the Faculty Development Initiative
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny fills in details about the evolution of the Department of Faculty Development. She explains why Margaret Kripke, the VP of Academic Affairs in 1999, supported a leadership development initiative. Ms. Yadiny then talks about her activities as Director of Faculty Development between 1999 and 2001, when the first formal course of the Faculty Leadership Academy was put together by a collaborative committee. Ms. Yadiny explains that in 2001, academic medicine trailed the corporate world by about 15 years in understanding leadership. She explains why leadership is so important and notes that MD Anderson had no succession planning and no real culture of leadership. She explains the success of the Leadership Academy and discusses the coaching sessions that are provided to participants and new leaders.
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Chapter 12: Creating the Faculty Health and Well-being Program
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny recounts the story of how the Faculty Health and Well-being Program was established. She tells the story of the suicide of plastic surgeon, Steve Kroll, in 2001. She notes that when the institution did nothing to address this event, a group of individuals approached then-president John Mendelsohn about doing something for the faculty. This group included: Walter Bayle, MD; Warren Holleman, PhD; Ellen Gritz, PhD; Janis Apted, MLS. This group formed a committee and they set in place a response plan for addressing trauma. Ms. Yadiny next recounts how this initiative evolved into a program. She mentions groundbreaking work the Ellen Gritz and Warren Holleman did on burnout. [The recorder is paused] Ms. Yadiny then talks about several initiatives in Faculty Development. First she talks about Dr. Walter Bayle's use of Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Enhancement to teach communication and leadership. She then talks about Faculty Development's sponsorship of the Houston production of the play, "Wit." Focus groups with clinical faculty related to this production were audio taped and used to produce of the video, "On Being an Oncologist."
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Chapter 13: Preparing for Coming Challenges to Faculty Development
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny briefly comments on the goals she envisioned for Faculty Development when she became Executive Director in 2002. She then sketches the large-scale changes that MD Anderson will face as national demographics and the healthcare system continue to shift. She reflects on working with new staff members. She explains that she went back to school to earn her certification as a coach so she could be a better support to faculty.
Next, Ms. Yadiny lists the faculty's fears and frustrations and notes that most people who need help are not asking for it. -
Chapter 14: An MD Anderson Way of Leadership Training
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Yadiny characterizes the "MD Anderson way of leadership training." She explains that in 2002 her office settled on a skill-based approach that differed from the theoretical focus of earlier programs. She notes that Dr. Margaret Kripke advocated adoption of this approach and that the program for women faculty, Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine [ELAM], served as a model and was enthusiastically welcomed by all faculty. She next gives examples of challenging situations that MD Anderson leaders can find themselves in (e.g. emotional blackmail and manipulation). She notes that a psychologist at Rice University introduced her to the idea that transition into leadership is a turbulent process akin to an identity crisis. She talks about the learning curve for developing as a leader and emphasizes that MD Anderson is a very complex culture: some leadership consultants have characterized it as the most challenging and toxic they have encountered.
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Chapter 15: Faculty Development: Directions for Future Growth
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny explains that programs in Faculty Development will increasingly be organized around the idea that transition into leadership catalyzes an identity crisis. She explains a plan to conduct assessments for leadership potential (that could not come to fruition). She discusses motivations that individuals may have for aspiring to leadership roles and notes that most leaders say they get the most satisfaction from training the next generation of leaders or professional in their field. She notes that MD Anderson chair people have demanding roles with more responsibility than their colleagues at other institutions. She explains the growing number of populations that Faculty Development serves at the institution, noting that the faculty is not required to take mandatory classes in leadership (unlike staff people). She discusses preliminary efforts to offer leadership programming for fellows and graduate students. She discusses the advantages of having outside consultants conduct programs and offers a personal anecdote about offering tough feedback.
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Chapter 16: Growth as a Leader
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Ms. Yadiny evaluates her own growth as a leader since she "began as a freshman" in Faculty Development at MD Anderson in 1999. In this Chapter she also talks about the importance of emotional intelligence. She begins by discussing what she learned about herself by handling challenging leadership situations. She talks about her (excellent) working relationship with Robert Tillman [Associate Director, Faculty Development] and describes how some problems arose because of her strong working relationship with Janet Simon. She notes a theory that in workplaces, individuals recreate their family of origin around them. Ms. Yadiny then talks about the importance of the emotional brain to leadership development. She notes that she reads a sacred literature to learn more about this and that MD Anderson can "shrink" this dimension of self. She talks about conversations she has with a psychologist who is also a practicing shaman, José Luis Stevens, when she senses distance from her emotional brain. She tells an anecdote about discussing a work challenge with Provost Ethan Dmitrovsky, MD. She lists the serious consequences leaders face if they do not cultivate the emotional dimensions of themselves.
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Chapter 17: Faculty Development: Caring for the Soul of MD Anderson's Faculty
Janis A. Yadiny and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Ms. Yadiny characterizes the essential role of the Department of Faculty Development: to caretake the soul of MD Anderson's faculty. She begins by talking about a retreat held recently to help a department deal with issues of retaliation. She discusses her own experience consulting with this department and recounts an anecdote she heard Bill Johnson (CEO of Heinz) tell about coach.
Next, Ms. Yadiny explains her goals in the years remaining before her retirement: she would like the institution to "understand the full scope of what Faculty Development does." She says that the department is "like a shaman" that brings in the whole person and provides a place of hope for faculty. In the final minutes of the interview, Ms. Yadiny discusses why her work has a spiritual dimension. She acknowledges that she has "played a pretty significant role" at MD Anderson, setting up programs and services to minister to faculty however they require. -
Chapter 01: Education and Family in Hong Kong
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung talks about his family background, education, and the challenges of growing up in Hong Kong during the recovery period in the aftermath of World War II. He first explains that his parents came to Hong Kong from China during the War. He describes the family's financial situation and the strong work ethic he gained by working in his father's business. Dr. Yung explains the educational system in Hong Kong. He talks about the origin and growth of his faith. He talks about meeting his wife, Susie Yung, in high school. Dr. Yung next recounts his early educational experiences under the British style, "pyramid" system education in Hong Kong and notes his transfer from a community school to the Jesuit-run Wah Yen College, a "vigorous" and well-funded school where all the teaching was in English. He notes that he became interested in medicine while he was in high school. Dr. Yung recounts how he came to the United States for college.
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Chapter 02: Medical Education and Laboratory Research Solidifies an Interest in Molecular Analysis
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung talks about his college and medical education and his interest in working at MD Anderson. He begins with his arrival in the United States to attend college at the University of Minnesota (f 1968), a "defining moment" in his life, because of the culture shock. Dr. Yung notes that he began as a sophomore and that his research career began during his undergraduate years as he worked on a project that gave him an interested in cancer: he quantified radiation damage to tissue with different types of radiation.
Next, Dr. Yung talks about how his decision to focus on neurology and attend medical school at the University of Chicago, where he kept working on his own research. He talks about his residency and his fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering, where he framed his primary research interests: "How do we go from chromosome analysis to molecular analysis?" -
Chapter 03: Developing a Brain Tumor Clinic at MD Anderson
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung talks about his first impressions of MD Anderson and his early efforts to develop the neurology offerings at the institution. He begins by explaining his decision to come to MD Anderson (in 1981) after his fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. MD Anderson contacted him because the institution needed a neurologist to handle neuro consults. Dr. Yung describes the neurological complications that he would see normally see during consults and explains why he wanted to start the first designated brain tumor clinic at MD Anderson to treat complications and offer but care for primary tumors. Dr. Yung notes that he wanted to continue his research at MD Anderson. He established his laboratory at the Medical School, but relocated to MD Anderson in 1983.
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Chapter 04: A Reputation For Experimentation and the Impact of Shifting to a Division System in the Eighties
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung connects MD Anderson's reputation for radical research in the 1980s to the move to reorganize the institution by Divisions in order to foster collaboration. He sets context by noting that MD Anderson struggled with a reputation for experimenting on people as well as with limits imposed on its growth. Dr. Yung explains how in 1982 the second president, Dr. Charles LeMaistre, reorganized the institution according to a division system to foster collaboration between departments and services and created a more systematic environment for promoting clinical research. The division system also fostered a more systematic approach to patient care and more structure in services by focusing on disease type. Dr. Yung next explains that, with that administrative reorganization, many new faculty were hired to provide a platform to enhance the quality of research and research driven patient care.
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Chapter 05: Stepping Down as Chair of Neuro-Oncology
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
The recorder is started during a conversation in progress. Dr. Yung offers brief comments on his decision to step down as Chair of Neuro-oncology. (He stepped into the role as interim chair in 1999 and became permanent chair in 2002.)
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Chapter 06: Looking at Chromosomal Patterns in Brain Tumors; Chromosomal Heterogeneity, Chemo-Sensitivity, and EGFR
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung discusses the evolution of his research, beginning with work on chromosomal patterns at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in the late 70s. He sets this work in the context of the science at that time and its development into the entirely new field of genomic medicine. Next he explains the evolution of his work to include epidermal growth factor receptors (EPGR) and their importance in cells, discussing connections to work of other MD Anderson faculty. He describes the relationship of the gene to kinase and EGFR functions. He then talks about his shift into translational research since 1997. Dr. Yung then sketches the history of translational research at MD Anderson, noting that in the Eighties and Nineties, the institution became a forerunner in applying translational research to clinical questions.
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Chapter 07: Research Pathways and Research Issues that Emerge from EGFR Work
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung talks about the research paths that evolved from his work on EGFR, though he has been unsuccessful so far in discovering how to render glioblastoma sensitive to the receptor. He goes on to describe the lines of research that have opened up and also discusses controversies that have arisen around the issue of sequencing the cancer genome. He notes that MD Anderson is one of the suppliers of tissue to The Cancer Genome Atlas project -and he is involved in this. Dr. Yung also explains how the body of knowledge growing from this project and the International Cancer Genome Continuum has influenced how researchers look at tumors. Dr. Yung explains that the fundamental question is Can we understand the evolution of a tumor? He notes the special technical and ethical difficulties that arise with examining brain tumors.
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Chapter 08: Brain Tumor Research: Translational Studies in Progress and the NCI Study Section
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung sketches his other research activities on glioblastoma. He first talks about his activities with the NCI and other groups focused on developing clinical, translational studies of brain cancer. He talks about the challenges of setting up such studies. Dr. Yung next talks about his clinical trials with the drug, BKM 120. He explains how this study also demonstrates the difficultly of attracting attention to a "small cancer" and how MD Anderson can partner with drug companies.
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Chapter 09: The Challenges of Glioblastoma; MD Anderson's Moon Shot Program; No Low-Hanging Fruit for Neuro-Oncology Research
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung explains the challenges that glioblastoma presents to the researcher then sketches the work he is doing to build collaboration among the brain tumor community. He notes that Dr. Charles A. LeMaistre [Oral History Interview] started the Brain Tumor Group, now the largest in the country and the world. Dr. Yung next talks about MD Anderson's Moon Shots Program, now expanding to include more than the six cancers. He talks about the structure of the Moon Shots program and evaluates the lessons learned from its early years. He notes the aim of the Program to focus on "low hanging fruit" that can lead quickly to treatment advances, and explains that there are no such quick remedies on the horizon for treating glioblastoma.
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Chapter 10: Creating a New Department of Neuro-Oncology in 1983
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung tells the history of the Neuro-oncology Department from 1983 to 1988. The Department was formed around the same time as the structural reorganization of MD Anderson according to a division system. Dr. Yung talks about the autonomy that the Department was given within this new system. He notes the functions of the new Department: provide neuro consults, manage the Brain Tumor Clinic and Pain Management Section, and provide psychiatry services. Dr. Yung notes that his vision from the beginning was to build brain tumor research. He talks about milestones: the creation of the Brain Tumor Clinic, then the Fellowship Program, and the Department's growing patient load and reputation. Dr. Yung then explains that he and others created joint meetings and rounds cutting across departmental and division boundaries. He also explains that he took advantage of this collaboration to work with the NCI's Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program to develop clinical trials. Members of the Department joined the Brain Tumor Committee within the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group.
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Chapter 11: Creating Networks for Clinical Trials
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung begins this chapter by observing that, in 1988, the new Department had expanded and Dr. Field was ready to retire. Dr. LeMaistre wanted to expand neuro services and recruited Dr. Leaven to chair Neuro-Oncology and provided him with a large package to expand the research and clinical operations. Dr. Yung notes that he was still continuing to run his own research. He also took advantage of the NCI's desire to stimulate brain tumor research and he created a network of institutions for running Phase I clinical trials. He describes what he did to create the consortia under NCI guidelines and the lessons learned as the networks were reorganized. Dr. Yung observes that this project resulted in the NCI adding pediatric brain tumors to clinical trials. He explains that brain tumors are the second most common cancers in children. He also provides an overview of the limited array of drugs available for treating brain cancers, with focus now moving from cytotoxic agents to targeted therapies and immunotherapies. He notes that as the Department grew, there were more opportunities to take advantage of patient philanthropy to support research.
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Chapter 12: Becoming Chair of Neuro-Oncology and Developing Collaborations with Neuro-Surgery
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung explains that in 1990, Neuro-Surgery became a department and Dr. Raymond Sawaya [Oral History Interview] was recruited to head it. He describes the period of expansion that began for both departments at that time. Dr. Yung gives examples of research in Neuro-Oncology and their ties to the institution's status as a comprehensive cancer center. Dr. Yung explains Dr. John Mendelsohn's [Oral History Interview] continued support the combined activities of Neuro-Oncology and Neuro-Surgery, known as the Brain Tumor Program. He stresses that he and Dr. Sawaya shared a commitment to building multi-disciplinary research and care initiatives and he describes the "blessing" for this group that faculty work well together. He describes his goals at the time and his continued commitment to work with Neurosurgery and related fields to develop a cohesive program in patient care and research. He talks about collaborative projects, including development of an oncolytic virus -a rare example of a successful brain tumor drug.
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Chapter 13: Focusing on Work, Faith, and Hope During Cancer Treatment
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung talks about his experiences as a patient after his 1999 diagnosis with a rare bladder cancer. He sketches the medical dimensions of the disease, the slow process of diagnosing it, and his choice to have chemotherapy followed by radical surgery. He talks about his faith and his choice to have treatment at MD Anderson and have a true patient experience, not special treatment for an MD or VIP. Dr. Yung observes that his patient experiences have made him a better caregiver and advisor to the department when changes to the clinics and care deliver are planned. Dr. Yung talks about the different ways patients cope with a cancer diagnosis. He notes the special case of brain cancer patients, who lose cognitive function and their independence. Dr. Yung says that he advises patients that accepting their diagnosis early will help them avoid depression and other complications. Dr. Yung notes that he took on the Chairmanship of the Department of Neuro-oncology during his treatment. He felt he had been given extra time to use for his department. He lists the projects he wanted to push forward.
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Chapter 14: Building the Advanced Practice Nurse Program
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung talks about the expansion of the Advanced Practice Nurse program once he became department chair. He first notes how important support staff are to extending clinical care and then explains why he elected to expand APNs in particular. Dr. Young says that most institutions do not have the rich resource of nurses that MD Anderson has: research nurses, APNs, clinic nurses, and in-patient nurses. He sketches the roles that the APN services in assisting patients' caregivers and building quality of life for patients.
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Chapter 15: The Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network (CERN); Funding Research
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung describes his efforts to support research into the rare cancer, ependymoma and talks about the challenges of funding innovative research in a time of fiscal conservatism. He begins by giving an overview of the four types of brain cancers then recounts how the Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network (CERN) and now serves as model for using private funds to fund research. Next Dr. Yung offers his perspective on the conservatism of government funding of research versus private systems that can take risks. Innovative clinical trials require collaboration of government, the drug industry, and private foundations. Dr. Yung then describes a plan now being implemented to bring these forces together to look at the molecular characteristics of different types of glioblastoma to determine which drugs might target them, sharing the financial risk of running the trials. He notes that this approach has some features in common with MD Anderson's Moon Shots Program.
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Chapter 16: MD Anderson's "Horizonally-Organized" Brain Tumor Center
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
In this chapter, Dr. Yung focuses on the Brain Tumor Center, created via the working relationships and shared resources that link sixty members from Neur-oncology, Neuro-surgery, Imaging, Neuro-pathology and other services. Dr. Yung explains that these working relationships enable neuro-focused members to get individual and multi-investigator funding, and that the SPORE grant is "a triumph of the Brain Tumor Center." Dr. Yung next comments on the difficulties of formalizing the Brain Tumor Center as a self-contained unit within MD Anderson. (This discussion refers to the fact that the head of Neuro-Surgery, Dr. Raymond Sawaya, is an advocate of such independent status. Dr. Sawaya discusses this at length in his oral history interview.) Dr. Yung cites the enormous cost of running an independent Center, given the expense of the technology required. Dr. Yung says that the Brain Tumor Center will enter a new phase when a new chairman of Neuro-Oncology replaces him. He also feels that the Center currently offers a solid platform to expand immunotherapy with a new emphasis on T-cell function.
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Chapter 17: The Defeat Glioblastoma Initiative and the NCI Brain Malignancy Steering Committee
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung first describes the The Defeat Glioblastoma Initiative, an inter-institutional collaboration he has established between UCSD, UCLA, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and MD Anderson to address glioblastoma. He notes that the Initiative is poised to expand and add international collaborators. Dr. Yung next describes his service on the NCI Brain Malignancy Steering Committee, set up in 2001 response to the request from National Institute of Medicine to provide more review of applications for research funds. The aim is to identify high-value concepts, prevent duplication of efforts, and create collaborations. Dr. Yung explains that this committee's role reflects the new reality of team science and limited resources. Dr. Yung then comments on the challenges of creating collaborations between scientists who originally thought they would run projects independently.
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Chapter 18: Key Periods of Change at MD Anderson
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung offers his perspectives on periods when MD Anderson has undergone large changes. He first discusses Dr. Charles LeMaistre's role in handling the HMO crisis in the early nineties. He next talks about Dr. John Mendelsohn's in setting the institution on "an upswing" of growth and corporatization. He describes how hard it is to manage growth so the institution remains true to its mission of delivering research-driven care, rather than deviating and increasing patient care to generate income to sustain the institution. He notes the pressure and debates that come each year with requests to see more patients, cut back on expenses. Dr. Yung then talks about Dr. Ronald DePinho, who came in "with a good heart and an insightful" view of how to elevate MD Anderson to a position of making an impact on specific cancers. He explains that Dr. DePinho has brought in necessary change, notable addressing complacency and a lack of productivity among the faculty. He says that Dr. DePinho has yet to address the need for investment in infrastructure for clinical research.
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Chapter 19: Stepping Down as Chair; Accomplishments in Perspective; A Sunday School Teacher
Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD
Dr. Yung begins this chapter by sketching the activities he will focus on after stepping down as chair. He next says that he is gratified to see how the Department has grown under his leadership, particularly in the areas of research and psychiatry. He talks about initiatives that have not advanced sufficiently, notable training of physician-scientists and providing a culture for their success. He shares what he would like the department to achieve in the next ten years, notably advances in brain metastasis. Finally, Dr. Yung talks about teaching adult "Sunday school" classes at his church, where he trains the next generation of church leaders. Dr. Yung says that his own faith enters into his work with patients, whom he encourages to have hope.