Queens Medical Associates Founder Dr. Barry Kaplan Tapped to Speak at Survivorship Summit: A New Standard of Cancer Care

Queens, NY— (May 10, 2017) — Queens Medical Associates Founder and President Dr. Barry Kaplan was tapped to speak at the Survivorship Summit: A New Standard of Cancer Care event recently held at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens in Flushing, New York. Dr. Kaplan discussed the broader importance of survivorship care to a group of 100 attendees from a variety of medical disciplines, including oncology, primary care, social services, and nursing. Queens Medical Associates is a physician practice specializing in hematology and oncology and is an early adopter and leader in survivorship care plans.

Dr. Kaplan is a well-known expert in medical oncology, with over four decades of experience in clinical medicine and academia. He was joined by a panel of experts including Dr. Julia H. Rowland, Director, Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute.

The panel explored the importance and impact of strong survivorship programs. “Too many cancer care facilities around the country overlook or underinvest in survivorship programs,” Dr. Kaplan said. “But they should, in fact, be applying the same level of rigor and expertise to survivorship care as they do to all other elements of treatment.”

Dr. Rowland stressed the need for a comprehensive approach that includes continued support services and communication between doctors: “Survivorship planning is a conversation. If we make it a piece of paper, we will fail.” She also noted that, according to the Commission of Cancer, “survivorship care plans will need to be provided to the majority of survivors who have completed treatment for accredited organizations by the end of 2018.” From the panelist’s perspectives, mandatory survivorship care cannot come soon enough.

Less than 50 percent of NCI–designated cancer centers are providing survivorship care plans to breast and colorectal cancer survivors. Queens Medical Associates has been at the forefront of survivorship care, having launched its program in 2014 to help patients navigate the long-term physical, emotional and socioeconomic tolls of their treatment. The Center takes great pride in its annual Survivors Day Celebration in June, which has been in place since 2001.

Also taking part in the Survivorship Summit was Susan Dicosola, Executive Director of Queens Medical Associates. “At Queens Medical Associates, we’re strengthening our devotion to world-class survivorship care,” Dicosola said. “In the years to come, we will continue to grow our progressive set of support offerings for patients, caregivers and the microcosm of the world that is Queens.”

For more information about Queens Medical Associates, visit http://www.queensmedical.com/.

ABOUT QUEENS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES

Queens Medical Associates (QMA) is a well-established physician practice and infusion center which provides hematology and medical oncology care for patients with cancer and blood disorders. Located in Fresh Meadows, New York, QMA’s physicians and clinical staff bring decades of experience providing exceptional care and treatment. Approximately 300 patients are served daily translating into over 200 treatments. QMA’s team members communicate in five official languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Russian). The practice also offers infusion therapy for many conditions including Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and organ transplants.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

From Left to Right: Demetrios Paidoussis, MD; Barry H. Kaplan, MD, PhD; Triantofillos Fillos, MD; Daniel Byrns, MD (Photo by Isai Quetz, LPN)

Julia H. Rowland, PhD (Photo by Isai Quetz, LPN)