This cover letter summarizes the applicant's experience and qualifications for a position in oncology. He has specialized in lung cancer treatment since medical school in India and the US. In his current role, he helped build the lung cancer program at the University of Rochester by consolidating services, improving patient satisfaction, developing genetic testing, strengthening collaborations, and increasing clinical trial enrollment. He has also taken on leadership roles in cancer center operations, research, teaching, and informatics.

1. COVER LETTER
Cancer medicine hasbeenmypassionsince medical school inIndia.Aftercompletingmypost-graduate
trainingsinHematology-OncologyandBone Marrow TransplantinChicago,I decidedtofollow the foot-
stepsof my mentorTom Lad and specializeinLungCancer.That ledme to the Universityof Arkansas
Medical CenterinLittle Rockas a facultymemberinthe Divisionof Hematology-Oncology.
Joinedthe ExecutiveMBA Programat the Universityof Arkansas hasbeen the 2nd
bestdecisionof my
life.Icome froma businessfamilyinIndia,andtherefore,numbersandfigureshave alwaysbeeneasy.
Apart fromacquiringmanagementskillsduringthose twoyears,Ialsomade goodfriendswithpeople
outside of medicine.Since then,Ihave beeninvolvedinmixingthese twoworldstogether.Itake great
pride inmy clinical skills,aswell asmyabilitytocreate teamsandprograms targetedatimproving
efficiencyintermsof patientcare andutilizationof manpowerandresources.
In 2009, I was hiredat the Universityof Rochesterwiththe goal of buildingthe LungCancerProgram.
Withina year,we managedto change the “culture”of lungcancermanagementatthe Universityand
consolidatedthe thoraciconcologyprogram, ashighlightedinthe followingparagraphs:
Thoracic OncologyProgram Leadership:
- Createda cohesive clinical lungcancerteamwithvolume increasesof ~300%, withpartnerships
fromThoracic Surgeons,RadiationOncologists,InterventionalPulmonologists,andother
supportingancillaryservices.
- ImprovementinpatientsatisfactionscoresforThoracicOncology(PressGaney) tothe 90th
percentile,fromthe 10-20th
percentile.
- DevelopedourownEGFR mutationtest(lessexpensivewithfasterturnaroundcomparedto
commercial tests) incollaborationwithourdedicatedthoracicpathologists.We made an
institutional policychange totestall non-squamousnon-smallcell lungcancerswithinthe
systemforthismutationupfront,asit hada therapeuticimplication.
- Starteda monthlyLungCancer WorkingGroup meetingtoinstitutionalize changesintreatment
pathways,aswell ascollaborate oncommonissues,suchasestablishingatumorbank and
clinical trialsconceptsandprotocolsacrossmultiple disciplines.
- Reinvigoratedthe bi-monthlyCommunitywidetumorboard,invitingall regional stakeholdersin
lungcancer (medical/radiation/surgical oncologists,andpulmonologists) toaneducational
program.We plannedtoprovide CME creditsforthese programs.Thisprogramalsoresultedin
an increasingnumberof referralsfromthesecommunityproviders,especiallyfor2nd
opinionsor
to considerclinical trials.
Cancer CenterOperations:
- Studiedandimprovedefficiencyinpatientflow fromthe time patientswalkedintothe Center
until the time theyleftthe building.
- Evaluatedchemo-chairutilization,nursingstaffingmodels,etc.forthe new cancercenter
infusionroomwith36 chairs(in9 pods) and10 beds

2. - Assessedthe staffingneedsandreal estate (clinicspace) utilizationinthe new cancercenter
building,withthe rapidgrowththe Hem-OncDivision.
- EvaluatedlowscoresonpainmanagementbycancercenterpatientsonPressGaneysurveys.
Participatedona taskforce in whichwe developedandimplemented self-reportedsurveys
directedtowardsassessingpatientsinpain.Thishighlightedthe areasof deficiencyand
subsequentlyimprovedscores.
Clinical Research:
- InstitutionalPIfor30+ Phase II/IIIstudies(Cooperative GroupsandIndustry) overthe last7
years(2004-2010).
- Participatedinthe LungCancer WorkingCommittee 2009-11 of SouthWestOncologyGroup
(SWOG).
- Headedthe solidtumorportfoliointhe Clinical TrialsOffice (CTO),withgoalstostreamlinethe
processof selecting,activating,negotiatingandprioritizingthe portfoliofordifferentspecific
tumor types,focusingonafewhighprioritytrialsthataccruedverywell.Inthisprocess,
improvedthe budgetof thisoperation.
- Beinga SWOG U10 grant holder,ourCTOprioritizedSWOGprotocols,inaddition toopening
Investigator-initiatedtrials.
- Votingmemberof the Institutional DataSafetyMonitoring Board, as well asthe Protocol
Reviewand MonitoringCommittee.
- Co-chairof the CancerCenterTherapeutics/P&T Committee.
- Participatedinthe creation of the WesternNYLung CancerConsortiumbetweenRoswell Park
Cancer CenterinBuffalo(tothe westof us),Universityof Rochester(us),andSUNYSyracuse (to
the east of us),to jointlydevelopthe experimental/clinical trialsprogramandenroll patientson
clinical trials.
Teaching/ Academic activities:
- ParticipatedinFellows’core curriculumforteaching,coveringthe relevanttopicof Lungcancer.
- Supervised1-3fellowsthoughtheircore 6-monthlyoutpatientmulti-modalityThoracic
Oncologyclinicrotation.Also,collaboratedwiththemontheirresearchendeavors
- SupervisedInternsandResidentsduringtheirclinicalrotationsthroughthe OncologyService
- InvitedspeakerinothercollaboratingDivisionandDepartments’teachingactivities
- Mentoredandgroomedone of myfellows,Dave Dougherty,tostayonas a facultymemberin
the Thoracic Medical OncologyProgram.
Informatics and Technology:
- Physicianchampionforthe roll outof EPIC
- Helpedbuiltchemoregimensforthe Beaconmodule
- Standardizedantiemeticsregimen,usingNCCN guidelines,toimprove compliance andcutdrug
costs