The year 2020 was a landmark year. The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a global health crisis that affected millions of people and challenged the medical systems of many countries. Healthcare institutions were at the forefront of this fight, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was no different. Overnight, the entire institution experienced a paradigm shift that affected patient care, education, and career development. The MD Anderson community rallied together to make sure we continued our mission to eradicate cancer while keeping our patients, employees, and students safe.
In 2021, the Historical Resources Center of the Research Medical Library embarked on a project to document how MD Anderson dealt with these once-in-a-generation changes. Created with the help of graduate student interviewers, this oral history collection aims to document and preserve the experiences, perspectives, and insights of oncology professionals who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collection consists of interviews with MD Anderson educators, faculty members, researchers, and administrators. They tell stories about information, inspiration, and resilience for future leaders – with topics including institutional change, technology and remote work, and leadership amid cultural shifts.
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Chapter 02: Navigating a Pandemic
David Jaffray PhD and Nina Nevill
In this chapter, Dr. David Jaffray discusses how MD Anderson Cancer Center responded to the COVID-19 health crisis. He recalls the intital stages in which the institution began to plan and implement various proactive measures to navigate the local impacts of a global pandemic. In particular, he notes how MD Anderson maneuvered the tensions that came with restriciting access to certain areas, how the institution responded to remote work, and the challenges surrounding obtaining enough personal protective equipment. Dr. Jaffray also mediates on the impacts of this particular era, describing how it “reset people’s tolderance to distruption.”
Dr. Jaffray also discusses notable moments in hindsight and notes the cross collobration across the Texas Medical Center, implementing the MOAT system, and shutting down the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Moreover, Dr. Jaffary ends by reflecting on the borader contexts of the time in regard to racial justice and how MD Anderson intends to address racial and socioeconomic equity in the future.
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Chapter 03: Digital Transformations
David Jaffray PhD and Nina Nevill
Dr. David Jaffray spends this chapter descsribing his role as Chief Technology and Digital Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He speficially describes the initiatives he has been a part of that seek to bridge data science, technology, and oncology. Dr. Jaffray also considers the possible resistance to these intitatives, though emphasizes how proper stewardship of data can assist in the fight towards eliminating cancer. He also reflects on the importance of collobration across the institution, noting the need to redefine how promotion for faculty should be thought of in order to counter inidividualism. Dr. Jaffray ends by meditating on the overall outlook of MD Anderson’s response to COVID-19.
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David Jaffray, PhD, Oral History Interview, July 07, 2021
David Jaffray PhD and Nina Nevill
Interview Chapters
Chapter 01: Personal and Educational Background
