Cancer Institute Update: Dr. Zhuoyan Li Is New Division Chief for Hematology

Zhuoyan (Yan) Li, MD has been named Division Chief of Hematology in the Department of Medicine at GBMC HealthCare. Dr Li will provide important leadership to improve the clinical and research efforts of GBMC’s hematology program.

Dr. Li is board certified in Internal Medicine. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN, where she also completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Oncology and Hematology. Dr. Li is active in medical research and has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications.

Financial Navigator is Saving Money For Patients and for the Berman Cancer Institute

This is a busy time for Monica Williams, financial navigator for oncology patients in the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute. Beyond her work securing access to expensive pharmaceuticals for patients and helping them apply for copay cards they can use to afford medications, she guides patients through the process of applying for health insurance during open enrollment periods. Williams also meets with individual oncology patients, helping them understand their Medicare or Affordable Care Act options.

It is just one facet of a job primarily focused on removing obstacles to treatment for oncology patients. Pharmaceutical companies are often keen to extend financial support when an insurer is unwilling to cover the cost, and the oncologist’s alternative is finding a different medication to treat the patient. This is where Williams steps in. She either completes an application or guides the patient through the process.

“I promise the oncologist we can start the patient on their treatment within 7-14 days,” she said. “And they know they can count on that.”

Patients are never billed for Williams’s help, just as they aren’t billed for any of GBMC’s Oncology Support Services. In fact, as an oncology financial navigator, Williams saves money. In her two years in the job, she has saved GBMC and cancer patients more than $14.6 million.

The clinicians of the Berman Cancer Institute understand, with Williams’s help, every patient will have the medications that give them the best outcome possible, regardless of their ability to afford treatment.

While many hospitals offer financial assistance, a third-party consultant is usually involved. At GBMC, putting patients first means having an onsite professional dedicated to our patients’ needs.

Experienced Dietitian Joins Dance Center Team

The Milton J. Dance, Jr. Head and Neck Center is welcoming a new member to the team. Dietitian Allison Francis, RD, LDN, has 23 years of experience in the field. She is originally from the Philadelphia area and graduated from Penn State, where she played lacrosse.

Cancer Research Team Has New Researcher

Nat Segers, BSN, RN, ONC, has joined the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute’s Research and Clinical Trials team. They have an extensive oncology background and come to GBMC from the Solid Tumor Unit at Johns Hopkins.