NTO allows Veterans to receive world-class oncology care and services, regardless of where they live. Working shoulder to shoulder with various partners, NTO delivers screenings, diagnostics, and treatment for medical oncology —including rehabilitation and palliative care— to improve access and outcomes for Veterans.
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NTO Leadership
Sub-Specialty: Hematology/Oncology; Chief Medical Officer, National TeleOncology
Primary Location: VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Education: Georgetown University, BA; West Virginia University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
NCI Affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Academic Achievements/Publications:
- Alan Winkelstein Fellowship Teaching Award, UPMC - 2020
- Distinguished Leader Award, VA Video Connect - 2022
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: Our goal is to connect you with dedicated VA hematology/oncology teams located throughout the nation whose mission is to deliver care for you and closer to where you live.
Subspecialty: Hematology/Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner; National TeleOncology Clinical Pharmacy Program Manager
Primary Location: Durham VA Medical Center
Education: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Doctorate in Pharmacy, 2011
Residency: PGY 1 and PGY2 Hematology/Oncology Residency at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System in Tucson, Arizona 2012-2013
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology is platform of healthcare delivery designed to improve your access to specialized oncology care regardless of where you live. By collaborating with your local VA medical center, we strive to be an accessible extension of your cancer care team to make sure you feel supported on your entire cancer journey and receive the best treatment for your specific type of cancer. We look forward to taking care of you!
Subspecialty:Gina McWhirter, MSN, MBA, is the National TeleOncology service Director. Over her 13 years in VA she has served in various roles: Chief Nurse, Intensive Services, Chief of Education, Nurse Manager of Intensive Care and Outpatient Oncology/Infusion Clinic, Acting Chief Nurse of Behavioral Health, Quality Management/Utilization Review Nurse, Intensive Care Nurse, Oncology Nurse and Medical Surgical Nurse. She received a Master of Science of Nursing from Sacred Heart University and Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University. She has a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma and has served on multiple academic advisory boards for their schools of nursing. She is also a recipient of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing End of Life Care for Veterans Award. Gina is passionate about oncology care for Veterans and ensuring that they receive world class care regardless of their location or socioeconomic barriers.
Physicians
Subspecialty: Hematology
NTO Team: Benign/Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: Durham VA Hospital / Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
Education: Aegean University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
Residency: State University of New York Downstate Medical Center School of Medicine
Fellowship: Yale University School of Medicine
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: An excellent option for outstanding medical evaluation and care in the subspecialty of Hematology-Oncology.
Subspecialty: Genitourinary
NTO Team: Genitourinary
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: Vanderbilt University
Residency: University of California, San Francisco
Fellowship: Duke University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology allows patients to receive care from experts in the field without having to travel to large academic institutions. It requires a leap of faith, but it works! Despite the distance, with the help of the team on the ground, we can establish relationships and provide excellent care.
Subspecialty: Palliative Care
NTO Team: Palliative Care
Primary Location: Durham VA Healthcare System
Education: West Virginia University School of Medicine, MD
Residency: Duke University School of Medicine, Internal medicine & Psychiatry
Fellowship: Duke University School of Medicine, Hospice & Palliative Medicine
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: This resource improves access to important clinical services to help support the health of veterans across the country.
Subspecialty: Hematology
NTO Team: Benign/Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: Maryland
Education: State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, College of Medicine
Residency: SUNY Downstate
Fellowship: SUNY Downstate Hematology and Oncology, Mount Sinai College of Medicine Transfusion Medicine
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: We are here for you!
Subspecialty: Breast Cancer, Cancer Genetics
Primary Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Education: East Tennessee State University, Quillen College of Medicine
Residency: Wake Forest University
Fellowship: Vanderbilt University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: The cancer team at the VA is very experienced at providing specialized care via video and patients will be pleasantly surprised for how a good relationship can develop over the screen over time. I want women and men with breast cancer to know that they are getting the most modern and effective breast cancer treatments and genomic testing from an experienced and academic team. I am honored and humbled to be able to provide breast cancer care for Veterans across the country. Our Veterans deserve the best.
Subspecialty: Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies
NTO Team: Hematologic Malignancies
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: University of Maryland
Residency: University of Maryland
Fellowship: Duke University
NCI Affiliation: Duke University
Publications:
- 2008 - Young Investigator Award, Duke Cancer Center Annual Meeting
- 2006 - Fellow, Molecular Biology in Clinical Oncology AACR Workshop
- 2002 - Alpha Omega Alpha, University of Maryland
- 2002 - Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation, American Medical Women's Association
Subspecialty: Prostate Cancer
NTO Team: Genitourinary
Primary Location: San Francisco VA
Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital
Fellowship: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Massachusetts General Hospital
Academic Achievements: PI of SFVA/PCF Precision Oncology of Center of Excellence; Associate Professor of Medicine, UCSF; Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: A team of care providers working to provide expert oncology care with compassion to Veterans
Subspecialty: Hematologic malignancies
NTO Team: Malignant hematology
Primary Location: San Francisco VA
Education: Duke University
Residency: Brigham & Women's Hospital
Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco
Publications:
- Nawas MT, Walker EJ, Richie MB, White AA, Hsu G. A Protean Protein. J Hosp Med. 2019 Feb 1;14(2):117-122. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3102. Epub 2018 Nov 28. PMID: 30534640.
- Huppert LA, Hsiao EC, Cho KC, Marquez C, Chaudhry RI, Frank J, Goglin SE, Hsu G, Kathpalia P, Khanna R, Kompala T, Rao MN, Bower BA, Trafas V, Santhosh L, Schwartz BS, Babik JM. Virtual Interviews at Graduate Medical Education Training Programs: Determining Evidence-Based Best Practices. Acad Med. 2020 Dec 8. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003868. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33298691.
- Rencic J, Zhou M, Hsu G, Dhaliwal G. Circling Back for the Diagnosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 2;377(18):1778-1784. doi: 10.1056/NEJMcps1701742. PMID: 29091567.
Subspecialty: Neuro-oncology
NTO Team: Rare cancers
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: Tulane University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Pennsylvania
Fellowship: Neuro-oncology, The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Hospice and Palliative Medicine, The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Publications:
- Crooms RC, Johnson MO, Leeper H, Mehta A, McWhirter M, Sharma A. Easing the Journey-an Updated Review of Palliative Care for the Patient with High-Grade Glioma. Curr Oncol Rep. 2022 Apr;24(4):501-515. doi: 10.1007/s11912-022-01210-6. Epub 2022 Feb 22. PMID: 35192120.
- Kim M, Ladomersky E, Mozny A, Kocherginsky M, O'Shea K, Reinstein ZZ, Zhai L, Bell A, Lauing KL, Bollu L, Rabin E, Dixit K, Kumthekar P, Platanias LC, Hou L, Zheng Y, Wu J, Zhang B, Hrachova M, Merrill SA, Mrugala MM, Prabhu VC, Horbinski C, James CD, Yamini B, Ostrom QT, Johnson MO, Reardon DA, Lukas RV, Wainwright DA. Glioblastoma as an age-related neurological disorder in adults. Neurooncol Adv. 2021 Sep 4;3(1):vdab125. doi: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab125. PMID: 34647022; PMCID: PMC8500689.
- Kang JH, Swisher CB, Buckley ED, Herndon JE, Lipp ES, Kirkpatrick JP, Desjardins A, Friedman HS, Johnson MO, Randazzo DM, Ashley DM, Peters KB. Primary brain tumor patients admitted to a US intensive care unit: a descriptive analysis. CNS Oncol. 2021 Sep 1;10(3):CNS77. doi: 10.2217/cns-2021-0009. Epub 2021 Sep 21. PMID: 34545753; PMCID: PMC8461751.
Subspecialty: Hematology/Oncology
NTO Team: Thoracic, Head & Neck
Primary Location: Columbus VA
Education: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Residency: Internal Medicine Internship and Residency, Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Fellowship: Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology is an opportunity to see a physician who specializes in your cancer closer to your home.
Subspecialty: Thoracic oncology (e.g., lung cancer)
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: University of Michigan
Residency: Internal Medicine, Duke University
Fellowship: Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute
NCI Affiliations: Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Publications: View Here
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: VA's National TeleOncology service aims to partner with your local VA facility to provide the best oncology care as close to you as possible. We look forward to serving you.
Subspecialty: Thoracic Oncology
NTO Team: Thoracic
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: Drexel University Medical School
Residency: Hahnemann University Hospital
Fellowship: Hahnemann University Hospital; University of Pennsylvania
NCI Affiliations: Duke University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: By receiving your medical care through the National TeleOncology service, you will see a sub-specialty oncologist trained specifically in your cancer type and up-to-date with the best treatments available for your care. NTO allows us to disseminate the best oncologic care in the nation to your local VA.
Subspecialty: Gynecologic Oncology
NTO Team: Gynecologic
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Residency: NYU School of Medicine
Fellowship: Duke University
NCI Affiliations: Duke University
Academic Achievements/Publications:
- Davidson BA, Weber JM, Monuzsko KA, Troung T, Havrilesky LH, Moss HA. Evaluation of Surgical Morbidity After Hysterectomy During an Obesity Epidemic. Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Mar 10. PMID: 35271543
- Peterson JA, Albright BB, Moss HA, Bianco A. Catastrophic Health Expenditures with Pregnancy and Delivery in the United States. Obstet Gynecol 2022 Mar 10. PMID: 35271537
- Nitecki R, Albright BB, Johnson MS, Moss HA. Employment outcomes among cancer patients in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol. 2022 Feb;76:102059. PMID: 34826800
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: The opportunity to work for VA's TeleOncology program has been the most thrilling part of my job to date. Gynecologic malignancies are relatively rare, particularly in VA. Patients often need to travel far distances to receive care by an oncologist who specializes in the treatment of uterine, ovarian, or cervical cancer. Being able to virtually connect to Veterans all over the country has revolutionized our ability to provide high quality, evidence-based care for cancer patients no matter where they live and this is particularly beneficial for tumor types that are rarer within VA.
Subspecialty: Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers
NTO Team: Rare Cancers
Primary Location: San Diego VA
Education: Indiana University School of Medicine
Residency: Washington University in St. Louis
Fellowship: University of California San Diego
NCI Affiliations: Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: Cancer is a complex diagnosis and best treated by specialists with expertise in specific cancers. TeleOncology can provide this expertise in cancer care to you.
Subspecialty: Gastrointestinal tumors, bone and soft tissue sarcomas
NTO Team: Gastrointestinal
Primary Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Education: Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University
Residency: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Fellowship: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
NCI Affiliations: University of Kentucky, Markey Cancer Center
Academic Awards:
- Dr. Edward Romond Teaching Award.
- Academy of Medical Educator: Excellence in Medical Education Award
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology is a great way for Veterans to receive state of the art care right in their backyard. It is a chance for me a serve a greater population of our Veterans and provide them with the care they need.
Subspecialty: Genitourinary
NTO Team: Genitourinary
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: MD/MPH, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Residency: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Fellowship: Duke University
NCI Affiliations: Duke University
Publications:
- Poonnen P, Duffy JE, Hintze B, Shukla M, Brettin TS, Conrad NR, Yoo H, Guertin C, Looney JA, Vashistha V, Kelley MJ, Spector NL. (2019) Genomic Analysis of Metastatic Solid Tumors in Veterans: Findings From the VHA National Precision Oncology Program. JCO Precision Oncology 2019:3, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1200/PO.19.00075
- Dong OM and Poonnen P, Winski D, Reed SD, Vashistha V, Bates J, Kelley MJ and Voora D. (2022) Cost-Effectiveness of Tumor Genomic Profiling to Guide First-Line Targeted Therapy Selection in Patients with Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma. Value in Health; 25(4):582-594.
- Vashistha V, Poonnen PJ, Snowdon JL, Skinner HG, McCaffrey V, Spector NL, et al. (2020) Medical oncologists’ perspectives of the Veterans Affairs National Precision Oncology Program. PLoS ONE 15(7): e0235861.
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology care brings academic subspecialty care to Veterans where they are and decreases the need to travel long distances to get that level of care. Although there is initially some hesitation in participating in TeleOncology (for patients and providers alike), I've been pleasantly surprised to find numerous patients really enjoy and appreciate the level of care and connection they have received through the National TeleOncology service.
Subspecialty: Malignant Hematology
NTO Team: Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: Durham VA
Education: Penn State College of Medicine
Residency: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Fellowship: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
NCI Affiliations: Duke University
Publications:
- Zinzani P, Rodgers T, Marino D, Frezzato M, Barbui A, Castellino C, Meli E, Fowler N, Salles G, Feinberg B, Kurukulasuriya N, Tillmanns S, Parche S, Dey D, Fingerle-Rowson G, Ambarkhane S, WinderlichM , and Nowakowski G. (2021). RE-MIND: Comparing tafasitamab + lenalidomide (L-MIND) with a realworld lenalidomide monotherapy cohort in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-1471.
- Rodgers, T.D., Casulo, C., Boissard, F. et al. (2021). Early Relapse in First-Line Follicular Lymphoma: A Review of the Clinical Implications and Available Mitigation and Management Strategies. Oncol Ther. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40487-021-00161-5.
- Rodgers T, Barr P. (2021). Management of relapsed follicular lymphoma. Annals of lymphoma.
Subspecialty: Thoracic and Head and Neck Oncology
Primary Location: VA Ann Arbor
Education: Yale School of Medicine
Residency: University of Michigan
Fellowship: University of Chicago
NCI Affiliations: Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Academic Achievements/Publications: View Here
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology exists for them. Providing Veterans all over the country with the most highly specialized, evidence-based care possible is a huge part of VA Oncology's mission.
Subspecialty: Hematology / Medical Oncology
NTO Team: Malignant hematology
Primary Location: West Haven, Connecticut VA
Education: Albany Medical College
Residency: Albany Medical Center Hospital Internal Medicine
Fellowship: Boston University Medical Center
Publications:
- Xu EY, Vosburgh E, Wong C, Tang LH, Notterman DA. Genetic analysis of the cooperative tumorigenic effects of targeted deletions of tumor suppressors Rb1, Trp53, Men1, and Pten in neuroendocrine tumors in mice. Oncotarget. 2020 Jul 14;11(28):2718-2739. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.27660. eCollection 2020 Jul 14. PubMed PMID: 32733644; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7367653.
- g C, Tang LH, Davidson C, Vosburgh E, Chen W, Foran DJ, Notterman DA, Levine AJ, Xu EY. Two well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor mouse models. Cell Death Differ. 2020 Jan;27(1):269-283. doi: 10.1038/s41418-019-0355-0. Epub 2019 Jun 3. PubMed PMID: 31160716; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7206057.
- Kobayashi S, Contractor T, Vosburgh E, Du YN, Tang LH, Clausen R, Harris CR. Alleles of Insm1 determine whether RIP1-Tag2 mice produce insulinomas or nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Oncogenesis. 2019 Feb 22;8(3):16. doi: 10.1038/s41389-019-0127-1. PubMed PMID: 30796198; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6386750.
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: All Veterans deserve the highest quality of care, and TeleOncology can bridge barriers to access such as distance, transportation, and local availability to experts of every discipline. I am dedicated to building this bridge while preserving the human touch by working with a team of dedicated providers on site and through internet connections.
Advanced Practice Providers
Subspecialty: Thoracic/Lung
NTO Team: Thoracic, Head & Neck
Education: Nurse Practitioner
Primary Location: Virginia
Publications:
- American Journal of Nursing: “The Cancer Survivor's Prescription for Living”. Haylock, P.J., Mitchell, S.A., Cox, Tricia L., Temple, S.V., Curtiss, C.P. AJN, April 2007 - Volume 107 - Issue 4 - Pages 58-70.
- American Community Cancer Center Journal: “Skin Cancer Screening; A Creative Business Model to Offer an Important Community Service”. Castle, Steven, Turner, John and Cox, Tricia. www.accc-cancer.org Sept-Oct 2014 pg 27-33.
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology is a comprehensive approach to integrated cancer care that can be provided where the veterans live. The ability to receive this level of cancer care anywhere in the VA system is a gift, both to the Veterans and the staff at the various sites receiving the coordinated care.
Subspecialty: Gastrointestinal
NTO Team: Gastrointestinal
Primary Location: Los Angeles VA
Education: Functional Nurse Practitioner, Master of Nursing
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: NTO enables us to provide world class oncology services to veterans across the nation, regardless of where you live. With TeleOncology, you now have the options for cancer care that you might not previously have had. Our oncologists specialize in specific cancer types, and thus very knowledgeable to treat the type of cancer that you have.
Subspecialty: Hematology
NTO Team: Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: Sarasota, Florida
Education: Masters of Nursing, Otterbein College
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: It is a wonderful resource for Veterans that allows their care to be delivered to their local VA without having to be seen out of network.
Subspecialty: Gastrointestinal
NTO Team: Gastrointestinal
Primary Location: Fayetteville VA
Education: Physician Assistant, with a Master of Medical Science from Methodist University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: National TeleOncology allows you to see some of the best specialists in the field. We work together as a team (doctors, advanced practice providers, clinical pharmacists, nurses) on both sides of the screen to ensure that you get the best care and treatment closer to home.
NTO Team: Ancillary support & gap coverage
Primary Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Education: Master of Nursing, Idaho State University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: I want my veterans to know that TeleOncology can enable access to customized cancer care from expert oncology providers. We can diagnose, treat and follow patients at their local VA, CBOC and in the comfort of their own home. We are excited to expand our veterans access to quality cancer care.
Care Coordination Registered Nurses
NTO Teams: Rare Cancers, Palliative
Primary Location: VA Atlanta, GA
Academic Achievements/Publications:
- DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, April 2021
- Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist - ACDIS, 2013
- Oncology Certified Nurse - Oncology Nursing Credentialing Center, 2006
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: The TeleOncology program provides access to oncologists who are at the top of their field of practice. The program gives Veterans the opportunity to receive expert care closer to home which removes many barriers related to travel, time, and cost!
Subspecialty: Thoracic
NTO Teams: Thoracic
Primary Location: VA Houston, Texas
Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing - University of Texas Medical Branch; Master of Business Administration specializing in Healthcare Management - University of Texas at Tyler
Residency: Fellowship: 2021 - 2022 VHA Diffusion of Excellence Fellow
Academic Achievements/Publications: Session 2: Enhancing treatment, education and care to veterans. Federal Practitioner - 0921AVAHO ABSTRACTS Session 2: Enhancing Treatment, Education And Care To Veterans. (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2022, from federalpracitioner.com
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: With the assistance of modern technology, we've expanded our commitment to provide specialized cancer care at your footsteps. Our team is dedicated and ready to serve you from coast to coast.
Subspecialty: Surgical oncology
NTO Teams: Gastrointestinal
Primary Location: VA Washington DC
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology is an exciting new program that allows Veteran's access to specialty oncology care, allowing them to be able to see experts from around the country without leaving their home VA.
Subspecialty: Malignant Hematology
NTO Teams: Benign/malignant hematology
Primary Location: Oklahoma
Education: BSN at the University of Texas at Arlington
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: Taking care of veterans is more than a job, it is personal.
Subspecialty: Whole Health Nurse Educator and a nationally certified Oncology nurse
NTO Teams: Benign/malignant hematology
Primary Location: VA Durham, NC
Education: BSN at the University of Texas at Arlington
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: The National TeleOncology Program (NTO) provides veterans with comprehensive and unparalleled Hematology and Oncology care. Highly qualified and dedicated medical professionals and affiliates from across the nation are working collectively providing cancer care to our rural veterans in need. TeleOncology is easy, convenient, and dependable. No waiting. Staff from across the nation work tirelessly to provide the care, treatment, and follow up veterans deserve.
Subspecialty: Breast/Gynecologic
NTO Teams: Gynecologic, Benign Hematology, Breast
Primary Location: Florida
Education: MSN Care Coordination - Capella University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: We are here for the Veteran and to offer more streamlined, convenient medical care to improve their health.
Subspecialty: Hematology
NTO Teams: Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: VA, San Jose, CA
Education: MSN, BSN
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: We are the same friendly voice available for you to help you navigate through the maze of VA and cancer care. We are here for you and provide the same quality, and efficient nursing service you are used to. You can hear the sincerity in our voices through your phone or computer. We will always strive to meet your expectations within our means.
Subspecialty: Genitourinary
NTO Teams: Genitourinary, Benign/Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: VA Salem, Mass.
Education: BSN from Old Dominion University, and MSN Education from Western Governor's University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: Working with Veterans in the local oncology department and across the states has been very rewarding.
Subspecialty: Thoracic
NTO Teams: Thoracic, Head & Neck, Benign Hematology
Primary Location: VA Salem, Mass.
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: Being able to connect with Veterans in the capacity of this program is very exciting and reflects the ever-changing ways the VA is providing care.
Subspecialty: Benign Hematology
NTO Teams: Benign Hematology, Gastrointestinal
Primary Location: Fresno, CA
Education: BSN from Sentara College of Health Sciences, Virginia
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: VA's TeleOncology service allows Veterans to received care specific to their diagnosis by specialized Oncologists. However, the specialized care doesn't stop at the Oncologists, there is a whole TEAM behind each physician to assist in providing specialized care, to include Oncology Pharmacists and Oncology Care Nursing Coordinators. All members of the National TeleOncology service have been hand selected as specialists in their areas to provide to utmost care to our Veterans.
Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners
Subspecialty: Thoracic, Melanoma, and Central Nervous System Tumors
NTO Teams: Thoracic, Melanoma, and Rare Cancers
Primary Location: VA Durham, NC
Education: Butler University - Doctor of Pharmacy
Residency: University of Michigan Hospitals - PGY1 Pharmacy Practice; The Ohio State University Medical Center - PGY2 Hematology/Oncology
Academic Achievements/Publications:
- Crawford BS, Stauder AL, Bullington SM, Kiehl PJ, Dark ER, Aillich AJ. Impact of an Oral Antineoplastic Renewal Clinic on Medication Possession Ratio and Cost-Savings. Fed Pract. 2021 Mar;38(3):e8-e11.
- Fenton TT, Crawford BS, Bullington SM. Implementation and evaluation of a 90-minute rituximab infusion protocol at the Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center. Fed Pract. 2020 Jul;37(7):331-335.
- Gyori DJ, Bullington SM, Crawford BS, Vernon, VP. Evaluation of appropriate use of bisphosphonates and denosumab in patients with cancer. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2020 Mar;26(2):286-292.
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: This program expands high quality subspecialty cancer care to Veterans closer to home.
Subspecialty: Malignant Hematology
NTO Teams: Benign/Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: VA Columbia, Missouri
Education: Doctor of Pharmacy from Midwestern University
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology provides the best-in-class care to veterans which can allow them to stay within the VA system. I wish this service would have been available sooner.
Subspecialty: Malignant Hematology
NTO Teams: Gastrointestinal, Malignant Hematology
Primary Location: VA Rockwell, NC
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University, Doctor of Pharmacy
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: Receiving care through a telemedicine program does not mean you are compromising the quality of care you receive. You will have your own team of healthcare professionals experienced in treating your specific type of cancer that will work with the team at your site to give you the best oncology care possible.
Subspecialty: Benign/Malignant Hematology
NTO Teams: Genitourinary, Benign/Malignant Hematology, Breast, Gynecologic
Primary Location: VA Durham, NC
Education: UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doctorate in Pharmacy
Residency: PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at the VA Maryland Healthcare System in Baltimore, Maryland. ASHP Foundation Oncology Patient Care Traineeship at the University of TX, MD Anderson Cancer Center
What I want Veterans to know about TeleOncology: TeleOncology clinicians are experienced practitioners with the passion to take care of cancer patients regardless of where you live. We work closely as teams to provide specialized cancer care for each Veteran. We are privileged to be part of your cancer care journey and look forward to serving you.