Guest Commentary: Megan Kilbane, MBA, Assistant Dean for Oncology
2016 has been described as the year of 216, and it would be hard for anyone to argue that it is not truly the year for Cleveland to shine. From the Cavs to the Monsters and soon to be the Indians, we are grabbing championships left and right.
It is not just in the sports arena that Cleveland is shining. To help with launching the Moonshot effort earlier this year, Vice President Biden visited the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center to highlight the importance of collaboration. He revisited our city at the Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit last week, and Dr. Brian Bolwell, Associate Director for Taussig Cancer Institute and Chairman, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, was quoted by the Vice President with his roadmap for Moonshot success (watch the clip).
At the same time, at the AACI national conference, our Director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Stan Gerson, was sworn in as President of AACI. Throughout the AACI conference, each leader of cancer research across the U.S. mentioned Dr. Gerson's impact to their decision-making in positive and significant ways. Dr. Doug Lowy, Acting Director of the NCI, Greg Simon, Executive Director of the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force, and Dr. Henry Ciolino, Acting Director of the NCI Office of Cancer Centers, each took opportunities to mention Dr. Gerson and his ideas and suggestions in how to make cancer research accelerate in the NCI, Moonshot and the Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSG).
2016 is truly the year of 216, in sports and in the ongoing search for advanced cancer care. We should each be proud to be leaders recognized across the country for accelerating cancer research.