The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has awarded 16 residents in radiation oncology and radiation oncology nurses travel grants to attend the Society's eighth annual Advocacy Day taking place March 27-29, 2011, in Washington.
Advocacy Day allows members of the radiation oncology treatment team to learn about important health care legislative issues from experienced Washington policymakers. Participants in this annual event also visit Capitol Hill to advocate policies that protect the future of radiation oncology.
ASTRO recognizes that radiation oncology residents and nurses play vital roles in the present and future of the specialty but also may face financial constraints, so the Society awards grants in amounts of up to $400 to offset travel costs for attending Advocacy Day. This year's recipients are:
- Mekhail Anwar, M.D., Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco
- Karen Bernstein, M.D., Albert Einstein School of Medicine, New York
- Casey Chollett, M.D., Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Ill.
- Luq Dad, M.D., Roswell Park Cancer Center, New York
- Joni Dunn, M.N., R.N., A.O.C.N., C.N.S., Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
- Pavan Jhaveri, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
- Eric Kielhorn, M.D., Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Ill.
- Dan Kunaprayoon, M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati
- Anna Likhacheva, M.D., M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
- Shannon Offerman, M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati
- Amar Rewari, M.D., M.B.A., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, N.J.
- Kunal Saigal, M.D., University of Miami, Miami
- Thomas Skidmore, M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati
- Gregory Thompson, M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati
- Julie Walker, M.D., Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis
- Ben Wilkinson, M.D., Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, Mich.
"Advocating for our specialty is very important for the radiation oncology profession as well as the future of the patients we treat," Anthony L. Zietman, chairman of the ASTRO Board of Directors and a radiation oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said. "For these residents and nurses to take time out of their schedules to come to speak to their representatives and senators on behalf of their patients and all ASTRO members is very generous and admirable; I'm happy to congratulate them on their grants."
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.