NIH Grant

Our FLASH Radiation P01, program project grant with the NIH was approved in January! This is a $12.3M grant that was awarded by the NIH under the direction of Costas Koumenis and Amit Maity. There was a cast of many physicians, physicists, and biologists that worked for over 2 years to have this important grants awarded. We are working on this grant is collaboration with colleagues at Oxford University, Duke University, and Heidelberg University. It was impressive to read the review of the grant as the experts specifically called out the “dream team of investigators” looking at FLASH radiation. Congratulations to all involved!! This grant started February 1st and will continue for 5 years of work on the biology, technology, and preclinical work to define the mechanism of action of FLASH radiation. This positions Penn Medicine as the continued world leader in the development of FLASH proton radiation.

We have also signed contracts with IBA for almost $1M to support FLASH preclinical work. In addition, IBA is supporting both installation of new equipment on a proton gantry to deliver FLASH in patients, and personnel onsite to support our development work. We have also agreed upon a framework for IBA to fund human clinical trials once the technical installation and study design is completed.

All of this solidifies our position as the top funded radiation oncology department in the US. Thanks again to all the team for their hard work!

Dr. Costas Koumenis gave an interview to Oncology Tube on FLASH. Please click the button below to listen to the interview!

Virtua Proton Center Update

Signage for the new Proton Center at Virtua was installed on February 23, 2022.

Appointments

Goldie Kurtz, MD

Goldie Kurtz, MD has been appointed to the role of Associate Program Director for the Medical Residency Program, effective February 1, 2022.

Dr. Kurtz received her medical degree from and completed her radiation oncology residency program with the University of Toronto. She joined the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 as an Instructor, and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2016. During her time at Penn, Dr. Kurtz continues to demonstrate excellence across her thriving clinical and educational portfolios. She is highly-regarded by her patients and colleagues for her expert and compassionate care, as evidenced by her consistently high volume of referrals and outstanding patient evaluations. Dr. Kurtz is also an enthusiastic and sought-after educator, both within and beyond our department. She contributes to our medical student and resident education, as well as to our proton therapy educational programs locally and internationally.

In her role as Associate Director, Dr. Kurtz will work closely with the Program Director, Dr. Eric Ojerholm, and the Vice Chair of Education, Dr. Vapiwala, in providing oversight of all aspects of the Department’s medical residency training, including clinical and didactic education, resident recruitment/selection, resident engagement and wellness, programmatic budgeting, and overall strategic planning and execution. Dr. Dr. Kurtz will also work with the team to ensure ACGME compliance with all guidelines and help facilitate effective and efficient communication to all parities associated with our medical residency training program.

Katherine Madonna

Katherine Madonna, our CFO, has accepted a promotion to the role of Associate Chief Financial Officer for the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania. In her new role, Katherine will report directly to Jim Rush, and will plan, organize and direct the financial services, financial information systems, and fiscal management of CPUP financial operations. She will also serve as a key advisor to John Sestito, CPUPs VP/Executive Director and will partner with CPUP departmental financial leadership, ensuring consistency within CPUP and overall UPHS financial operations.

Katherine joined UPHS in 2015 as the Director of Finance for OB-GYN and was recruited to Radiation Oncology in November 2019. Just as she was starting, we were entering the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite many challenges, she worked quickly to guide the department through trying financial times brought on by the pandemic, and developed a departmental investment strategy to help sustain us for the future. Katherine also built upon and expanded the finance team, including the data analytics group, to ensure ongoing stability in these areas. It was clear from the moment we recruited Katherine that this would be an interim stop on her career path as she continues to grow into leadership positions at Penn Medicine. As she promised me when she joined the Department, she has built both a strong team and excellent financial processes in the department which has enhanced radiation oncology well into the future.

Katherine learned the financial ins and outs of Radiation Oncology quickly, and has become a valued, and trusted member of the Executive Leadership Team and the Department overall. Given all her contributions, and the significant impact she has had on our Department, Katherine will continue to provide support and transition planning until we find a suitable replacement.

Please join us in sincerely congratulating Katherine on her promotion and wishing her all the best of luck in her new role!

Nicole Marchesani, MHA

Nicole Marchesani has been promoted to Network Associate Director of Operations. . In this role, Nicole is accountable for our network operations, while working closely with our regional medical directors and Dr. Goldsmith. She will continue to report directly to Sebastian Haines.

Wencesley A. Paez, MD, MSHS

Wencesley A. Paez, MD, MSHS joins us as the new Director of Clinical Research Office. Dr. Paez has over 17 years of clinical research experience; for the past 14 years he has navigated a vast number of clinical research initiatives in academia at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. He has spent the past three and half years in the Department of Radiation Medicine, where he further expanded his knowledge and bandwidth of clinical research study development, grant and manuscript writing, student research mentorship, and leadership skills. In his role with our Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Paez will oversee the clinical research mission and initiatives of the Clinical Research Office. He holds a doctorate in medicine and a masters in clinical and translational research from The George Washington University, where he also holds a faculty appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership. As an adjunct in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, he teaches masters and PhD courses in the Clinical and Translational Research Program.

Jared Susco, MBA

Jared joins us as our new Chief Financial Officer. Previously, he worked at Benefits Data Trust, where he was the Chief Finance and People Office. In this role, he oversaw Finance & Accounting and Human Resources. He brings a wealth of experience in fiscal operations, financial management, administration, and marketing in both for-profit and not-for-profit settings. Jared also served as the inaugural Chief Operating Officer of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, which featured him as a protagonist in a case written by Harvard University. Prior to that, he worked for the University of Pennsylvania, first as Director of Administration and Planning for the Wharton Undergraduate Division, and then as Assistant Dean and Executive Director of Finance for Penn Dental Medicine. Jared has held roles in brand management at the Campbell Soup Company and PepsiCo, where he served as a local and national leader with LGBTQ+ employee resource groups. Jared earned his BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his MBA from Goizueta Business School of Emory University.

Neil Taunk, MD, MSCTS

Neil Taunk, MD has been appointed to the role of Director of Brachytherapy and Procedural Radiation. Since joining Penn in 2017, Dr. Taunk has lead the gynecological (GYN) radiation service and has focused on the development of the department’s brachytherapy programs. As Chair of the Quality and Safety Committee of the American Brachytherapy Society, Dr. Taunk is dedicated to ensuring quality and safety of care for patients. He has been a key leader in the initiative to revise treatment guidelines for gynecologic disease across Penn Radiation Oncology, and has significantly increased the number of patients being treated at HUP/PCAM with the highest-quality MR-based brachytherapy. Dr. Taunk also performs prostate procedures and is leading the development of an anesthesia-capable procedure room with creation of a prostate brachytherapy program.

In his role as Director, Dr. Taunk will have oversight relating to safety, quality assurance, management, and training for all Procedures at PCAM, as well as work with leadership to develop strategic goals for Procedures across the Department. He is also responsible for incorporating all quality initiatives related to Procedures, and will lead continuous improvement in safety, efficiencies, and outcomes of Brachytherapy and Procedural Radiation. Dr. Taunk will report to Michelle Alonso-Basanta in this role at PCAM and work thru Ben Goldsmith on any regional brachytherapy initiatives.

Dr. Taunk has already taken tremendous strides in the advancement of our Brachytherapy program at Penn, and we look forward to his continued leadership in these efforts!

Patrick Tripp, MD

Patrick Tripp, MD has assumed the role of co-Director of Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement along with Suneel Nagda, MD with whom he will work closely.

This position was formally held by Josh Jones, MD for the past three years. Most notably, from 2019 through 2021, Josh played a central role in our successful ASTRO APEX re-accreditation. Under his leadership, our Department achieved full accreditation with no findings - demonstrating our success in providing standardized, high level quality of care. For the upcoming year, Josh is focusing on the development of the SBRT spine program and our palliative care initiatives.

As the new co-Director of QA/QI, Patrick will continue the work Josh spearheaded, and work in collaboration with Suneel to oversee and lead quality improvement and assurance efforts across the Department. He will review/resolve CRS conditions along with the QA Committee in order to implement solutions so future issues can be avoided. In this critical role, Patrick will be responsible for ensuring effective and efficient communication to all parties associated with QA/QI and will represent the Department at meetings throughout the health system. As Director, Patrick will also ensure the implementation of continuous quality improvement (CQI) projects across the Department.

Departures

Amit Maity, MD, PhD

After three decades with the University of Pennsylvania, and Radiation Oncology, Amit Maity, MD, PhD has accepted a Chairmanship with the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and the Huntsman Center.

Amit completed his residency in Radiation Oncology here at Penn, and then pursued lab-based research. He obtained a PhD from Penn also, studying cell cycle regulation following radiation. Amit was appointed Assistant Professor in 1997 and rose through the ranks, being promoted to Professor in 2013. He has maintained a strong clinical commitment, treating patients with hematologic malignancies, while also remaining highly involved in resident teaching. Amit also has held several administrative positions, of progressive responsibility, in the department. Since I became Chair in 2015, Amit has been the key leader and resource to me. He was instrumental in getting the department prepared for the ASTRO accreditation program of excellence APEx, one of the first academic centers to do so. As the Executive Vice Chair, he directs recruitment efforts, provides oversight of our 17 network site locations, and ensure practice standardization.

He has played an integral role in the overall success of Penn Radiation Oncology across all our missions: clinical, educational, and research. Amit will be starting his new role in June.

Conferences and Speakers

North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) Annual Scientific Meeting

The North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) Annual Scientific Meeting was held in Phoenix, AZ from February 18-20. The NASBS Annual Scientific Meeting highlights lectures and presentations for the promotion of skull base surgery, and the care and management of skull base tumors both benign and malignant. Wencesley A. Paez, MD, MSHS presented a poster for an abstract submitted, representing the Department of Radiation Oncology.

Thank you Linda Jefferson for all of your decorations, for holiday celebrations and season changes! In this newsletter we are highlighting Linda's decorations for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day. Be sure to stop by and admire Linda's hard work the next time you are on the second floor of PCAM!

Residency Programs

Our residents celebrated Thanks A Resident Day and hosted a Resident Birthday Celebration! Happy Birthday to Kristine Kim, Shwetha Manjunath, Jacob Trotter and Paul Yoon