Duke Medicine Plaza
Duke Medicine Plaza opened on Duke Raleigh Hospital’s campus two years ago and has continued to expand to unite a broad range of specialties under one roof, including state-of-the-art outpatient imaging, cardiology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonary and allergy medicine, thoracic surgery, orthopaedics, and children’s subspecialty services. It also includes a voice care center and access to Duke Medicine’s resources.

“The Duke Medicine Plaza enhances convenience for patients who can access the world-class services of Duke Medicine in many different specialties, with the resources of Duke Raleigh Hospital right next door,” says Carla Hollis, chief marketing and planning officer.

Robotic surgery
In 2007, Duke Raleigh Hospital added robotic surgery capabilities to its surgical services in order to perform complex procedures using a minimally invasive approach. The organization currently is using robotic surgery for gynecological procedures such as hysterectomies, lymph-node dissections, sacrocolpopexy for vaginal prolapse and myomectomies, or fibroid removal.

“Our ability to perform cutting-edge procedures that benefit our patients and allow them to get back to their normal lives sooner than traditional interventions is our primary goal,” says Juanita Currin, RN, director of surgical services.

Duke Raleigh Cancer Center
Since it opened in 2004, the Duke Raleigh Cancer Center has added personalized options including access to medical oncologists, surgeons, radiologists and radiation oncologists.

“These specialists work with patients and their families to select the optimal course of therapy to meet individual needs,” Hollis says.

The cancer center offers access to genetic testing, and Duke clinical trials are offered to patients throughout the Triangle. It also includes a patient navigator service to provide patients with one-on-one assistance with everything from scheduling to answering questions and offering emotional support.

Neuroscience
The hospital’s neuroscience program has expanded rapidly with the addition of Duke Neurosurgery of Raleigh last fall, as well as an expansion of the hospital’s multidisciplinary sleep lab.

“While already providing cutting-edge brain and spinal procedures, plans for the neurosciences at Duke Raleigh Hospital include continuing to form a strong and well-rounded program,” Hollis says.

Duke Neurosurgery of Raleigh includes several physicians who specialize in brain and spinal-cord tumors, spinal and cerebrovascular disease, and skull-base surgery. The practice provides nonstop neurosurgery coverage for Duke Raleigh Hospital and its emergency department as well.

Local, national awards
Duke Raleigh Hospital has been named among the best places to work locally by Triangle Business Journal and nationally by Modern Healthcare magazine. Additionally, it achieved the magnet designation for excellence in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in February.

“Only 5 percent of the nation’s hospitals have earned this designation, the highest level of national recognition to health-care organizations that demonstrate sustained excellence in nursing care,” says Rosemary Brown, chief nursing officer, adding that all three hospitals in the Duke University Health System have achieved magnet status.

Cardiovascular care
The Duke Raleigh Cardiovascular Center offers collaborative care using state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies and highly trained caregiver teams. The center offers various treatment options, including angioplasty and stenting for peripheral vascular disease, congenital heart disease, and carotid artery blockage.

Most recently, the cardiovascular center expanded its treatment options to include percutaneous coronary interventions, a potentially life-saving cardiovascular interventional treatment that unblocks narrowed coronary arteries without performing surgery.

“Our cardiovascular services allow us to better meet patients’ needs with the high level of care and resources afforded by the Duke Heart Center and the convenience of our location right here in Wake County,” says Robert Chalifour, nurse manager of cath-vascular labs.

Orthopaedics
The Orthopaedic and Spine Center has continued to expand as well, offering a full continuum of care in the treatment of patients with bone, joint and spinal conditions.

“The Orthopaedic Center offers a system of care that’s seamlessly integrated,” Hollis notes. “Our center’s new patient navigator is a primary resource for patients and coordinates all aspects of care, including appointments and treatment schedules, and also is available for patient questions and concerns.”

She adds that the center includes some of the area’s most accomplished orthopaedic surgeons, as well as a host of support services including a pre-operative orthopaedic surgery class, homeward-bound gym to get patients back to independent living, and an on-staff orthopaedic clinical nurse specialist.

Voice care
As part of Duke Otolaryngology of Raleigh at Duke Medicine Plaza, the Duke Voice Care Center brings together a team of vocal specialists to diagnose a variety of disorders.

“The center’s integrated approach includes a team of otolaryngologists, speech pathologists, and a singing voice specialist who are skilled in addressing a range of illnesses and disorders, from neurological disorders and cancer to benign lesions,” Hollis says.

The center also has become involved in community outreach and education through the North Carolina Symphony and its annual World Voice Day celebration.

Expanded care
“In 2008 and 2009, Wake County residents have benefited from improved access to services with new additions to Duke Medicine’s network of facilities,” Hollis notes.

Duke Primary Care Creedmoor Road opened last year and has three primary-care physicians on staff, while in August Duke Medical Plaza Morrisville opened to unite primary, urgent, and specialty-care services — including orthopaedics and cardiology — under one roof.

In March, Duke Medicine opened a 40,000-square-foot medical facility in Knightdale featuring urgent care and specialty services including cardiology, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, and ophthalmology.

Duke Raleigh Gardens
Last September, Duke Raleigh Hospital celebrated the completion of Duke Raleigh Gardens, a relaxing spot for patients, employees and visitors. The gardens include water features, wheelchair-accessible walking paths, a rose garden and gazebo, and many of the state’s native plants.

“The gardens offer a beautiful haven right on campus for relaxation, reflection and celebration,” Hollis says.

“We know that they’ve already brought peace and enjoyment to many individuals who have visited our hospital, and we continue to be grateful for the generous support from many donors that makes them possible.”

Rosemary Brown

From the time she was a little girl, Rosemary Brown wanted to be a nurse.

“My aunt was a nurse, and I can remember being in awe of the stories she would tell me about her work,” says Brown, who became chief nursing officer of Duke Raleigh Hospital in 1998.

“She was the only registered nurse on night shift in a small hospital in West Virginia, so she had great autonomy and amazing experiences.”

Now leading her own nursing staff, Brown is enjoying many of the same experiences.

Her hard work — and the work of her staff — have shown through, as evidenced by several accolades over the years. Selected as one of the North Carolina Great 100 Nurses in 1998, Brown also was named a Johnson & Johnson Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow in 2007. In 2006, Duke Raleigh’s nursing department was recognized as the first hospital to achieve the North Carolina Nurse Association Hallmarks of Healthy Workplaces distinction. Earlier this year, it achieved the magnet designation for nursing excellence.

“The most rewarding part of my job is the wonderful staff I’m privileged to lead,” Brown says, adding that she also enjoys the supportive leadership team at Duke Raleigh and the Duke University Health System.

Dr. Powell G. Fox Jr.

Dr. Powell G. Fox Jr. has been integral to the success of Duke Raleigh Hospital. He joined the hospital in 1960 and in the late 1970s led the site selection committee for its relocation to Wake Forest Road.

“I have watched the hospital continue to grow and am extremely proud to see the caliber of services offered today as part of Duke Medicine,” he says.

Fox, who last year became chief medical officer emeritus after serving as chief medical officer since 1989, has never considered another profession. He would make Sunday rounds as a child with his father, a urologist at Mary Elizabeth Hospital, which became Duke Raleigh Hospital. By the time he was 13, he was allowed to observe surgeons at work in the operating room.

“I would come back in summers and work the lab, assisting surgeons any way I could,” Fox says of his earlier days. “These childhood experiences only further fueled my aspirations to be a physician.”

He credits the hospital’s staff with making it such a special place and is proud to have spent his entire career there.

“It’s been very exciting for me to be a part of the development of Duke Raleigh Hospital,” Fox says.

“I know that my father and Dr. George Paschal Jr., who became principal owners of Mary Elizabeth Hospital, would have been equally proud to see what their small, 50-bed hospital has become.”

Dr. Peter Grossi

Last July, Dr. Peter Grossi transferred from Durham to Raleigh to help bring expanded neurosurgery service to Wake County. As chief of neurosurgery and medical director of neurosciences at Duke Raleigh Hospital, he’s committed to the hospital system as a whole to help develop a comprehensive program.

“Our goal has been to provide care for some of the more complex neurosurgical conditions, including brain tumors, aneurysms and complex spinal reconstructive surgery typically referred to larger academic hospitals, while delivering the same level of care in a smaller, more convenient setting,” Grossi explains.

While his role is relatively new, Grossi already is making great strides. He recently secured grant funding for neurological clinical research projects at the hospital.

He and his wife, also a physician, have been in the Duke system for the past decade. Grossi, who’s also an assistant professor of surgery at Duke University in Durham, has always known his career path.

“I was one of those strange children who knew since I was three years old that I wanted to be a doctor,” he says.

“Every step I took along this career path further reinforced my decision,” Grossi adds. “I was drawn toward a career in neurosurgery because of my interest in the complexities of the nervous system and my desire to use my hands to solve problems.”

Douglas B. Vinsel

As CEO of Duke Raleigh Hospital, Douglas B. Vinsel works hard every day to help promote a positive work environment for physicians and staff and provide a great care environment for patients and families.

“I believe both go hand in hand,” he says. “When they come together and create the kind of work culture that staff wants to be a part of and that patients and families find appealing, it is very fulfilling.”

Vinsel, who earned a master’s degree from Duke University, joined the organization in March 2006 after serving as chief operating officer of WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh.

“The appeal for me was the opportunity to move from a COO role to a CEO role in a highly regarded health system,” he says.

While Vinsel didn’t always know what his career would be, the signs certainly were there.

“One of my friends suggested it as a possibility, another friend’s father worked as a hospital CEO, and my wife, who I was dating at the time that I made my decision, is a registered nurse,” he says.

“All of those factors, coupled with some early work experience at a hospital in my hometown, helped me decide that I wanted to pursue a career in health care.”

Vinsel is most proud of the hospital’s accomplishments over the years, including being named among Hallmarks of Health Workplaces from the North Carolina Hospital Association and earning the United Way Chairman’s Award.

Dr. David White

Dr. David White’s training as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Duke University Medical Center led him directly to his current role as attending surgeon of active medical staff for thoracic surgery at Duke Raleigh Hospital.

White, who also is chief of thoracic surgery for Duke Thoracic Surgery of Raleigh, had studied at Princeton and the University of Virginia as well. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, also a physician and White’s role model.

“He had a very scientific mind but also enjoyed the personal interactions afforded by a career in medicine,” he says.

“I decided to become a physician to try to help people, but also to be able to interact on a personal level on a daily basis.”

And it’s that goal of offering hope and helping patients live longer, more fulfilling lives that keeps White — recently named a Duke Raleigh Physician Champion of Service Excellence — coming back.

Magnet nursing designation
After an extensive review that included written documentation of processes and a site visit, Rex Healthcare was awarded a magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in April 2006. The program began in the 1980s and is designed to showcase hospital systems with solid nursing programs and staff.

“It started as an attempt to quantify the places nurses gravitate toward,” says Mary Lou Powell, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care.

“Many hospitals have qualities that attract and retain professional nurses, so they became known as magnets, or what drew people in.”

Out of more than 6,000 hospitals in the U.S., only about 5 percent achieve the designation. Rex’s designation runs through 2010, and Powell says the organization already has begun the process of applying for redesignation.

Qualities include a hospital system’s management style, quality of nursing leadership and care delivered, nursing resources, what nurses do in the community and as teachers, nurses’ image at the hospital system, and how relationships are formed between physicians and nurses.

“Basically, it’s a place where professionalism is valued and support is given to nurses,” Powell says of the magnet status. “Nurses who come here to work want to stay.”

With about 1,400 registered nurses on staff and a low turnover at Rex, Powell is encouraged by its success.

“Nurses are the gatekeepers, the ones who are there to monitor care all of the time,” she says.
“The more competent and professional they can be, the better it is for patients.”

Rex Women’s Center expansion
The Rex Women’s Center, located adjacent to the main campus, has served the needs of women throughout the community for years. With its newest expansion — adding 30 patient rooms, a relocated and expanded special care nursery, newborn admitting nursery, and respite nursery — now even more needs can be met.

Women’s services are grouped together at the center, including a birthing center, labor and delivery nurseries, outpatient programs, lactation consultation, and other subspecialty offerings. The addition, which was completed just over a year ago, filled a shortage need with respect to beds.

“It’s good when a woman comes to the hospital to have her baby and can get in a room right away,” says Susan O’Dell, director of Women’s and Children’s Services.

Perhaps the biggest element of the addition is Rex’s special care nursery, which features state-of-the-art equipment and semi-private rooms to allow for more space for each family — and more patient confidentiality.

“Most important, it’s a better environment for a baby to grow,” O’Dell notes. “Here, we can control noise and light better, which is advantageous for brain development.”

The addition, O’Dell adds, was created with the idea that it wouldn’t feel like a hospital.

“It’s warm and friendly, and the aesthetics are such that you might feel like you’re more in a room than a hospital,” she notes.

Features include centralized monitoring, soundproofed ceiling and walls, and sustainable flooring that doesn’t give off toxic fumes.

“The design is to provide this optimal environment for babies to grow,” O’Dell says.

Rex Health Care of Wakefield
Earlier this year, the hospital system opened Rex Health Care of Wakefield to better serve the needs of the North Raleigh community.

“Our board had good foresight in 1997 and realized that the Wakefield area is going to be the center of a significant portion of the population in Wake County,” says Steve Burriss, senior vice president of operations and ambulatory care.

“We believed in the community and saw a need for health services there.”

The hospital system purchased the land in 1999 and focused on developing the campus into a centralized spot for ambulatory care including radiology, urgent care, cancer care, a lab and pharmacy, and medical offices. Once the entire campus is complete, there will be a mix of retail services such as shops and restaurants, as well as a Harris Teeter.

The Wakefield campus also includes a 40,000-square-foot wellness center that already has 1,500 members. It features a heated indoor lap and therapy pool, whirlpool, steam room, and sauna in addition to traditional fitness equipment.

“Health care should be as much about wellness as delivering acute care,” Burriss notes.

“We offer these wellness centers to hopefully prevent people from having to use our services.”

With its Wakefield cancer center, Rex realized that many patients had traveled significant distances for chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

“By locating in the northern part of the county, we’re significantly reducing driving times for folks in that part of the community,” he says.

“It’s about bringing the same high-tech care we deliver at Rex to a more convenient location.”

Rex Healthcare of Knightdale
Similar to its Wakefield location, Rex’s Knightdale campus is bringing much-needed services to an underserved segment of the population. The 60,000-square-foot, 21-acre campus, which opened in May, is located on Widewaters Parkway near U.S. Highways 64 and 264 in this fast-growing eastern Wake County town.

The campus features a family practice and physicians’ offices, urgent care, laboratory services, radiology — including digital mammography, X-ray and CT scans — and wound care, which includes hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

Serving the needs of the community is its No. 1 goal. Burriss cites wound care as an example of serving such needs: The county’s diabetes rate is particularly high, and patients with the disease often deal with foot ulcers and other wound-related issues.

“We hope the campus attracts the right specialties and accommodates the population’s needs,” he adds.

Among best places to work
Last October, Rex was named one of the Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare magazine.
“Rex was ranked No. 15 overall — that’s not only hospitals but health care companies such as suppliers and other similar organizations,” says Sylvia Hackett, vice president of human resources.

Almost 400 employees — or 10 percent of Rex’s 4,000 on staff — filled out surveys with questions based on leadership, planning, culture, communication, level of happiness in working environment, working relationships with supervisors, training and development, pay and benefits, and overall satisfaction.

Among other benefits, Rex offers on-site child care and sick child care called Wishing Well, discounts on its wellness center and pharmacy, and the Center for Leadership Excellence, a customized development program for those wanting more experience in the field.

“We also do a lot to try and take care of the whole person,” Hackett notes.

“We’ll continue to develop people because we need that now more than ever,” she adds. “We try to make it easier for employees to live their lives and work at Rex.”

Among top hospitals
Aside from employee satisfaction, Rex also has been ranked high in patient safety, survival rates and financial stability. Last year, the hospital system was named to Thomson Reuters’ Top 100 Hospitals List based on nationally reported quality data.

Performance measures included clinical excellence, operational efficiency and community response, and the organization looked at cost savings vs. high-quality care.

“It answers the question of how to provide the best care,” says Dr. Linda Butler, vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer.

“Care has become so complex, and there’s a lot that goes into a hospital stay,” she adds. “We do our best to streamline things to make sure everyone gets excellent care, and to make sure patients understand the tests that are done and how to care for themselves once they leave.”

Rex Surgery Center of Raleigh
While Rex has always been a surgical hospital, the hospital system is continually expanding the surgical services it offers. It recently renovated patient operating rooms and has an offsite center in the works for the Wakefield area.

Surgery rooms utilize digitally integrated video technology, which allows images to be sent from one room — or part of the hospital or surgery center — to another. More important, rooms average 600 square feet to accommodate patients, doctors and equipment.

“As technology has invaded the world of surgery at a fast pace, many operating rooms struggle to keep up with space to accommodate equipment as well as adequate working space,” says Jayne Byrd, associate vice president of surgical services.

“What we bring is appropriately sized operating rooms.”

da Vinci robotics
Much of Rex’s surgical equipment uses articulating arms to reduce stress on nurses and provide mobile options for surgeons. Considered a breakthrough in minimally invasive surgery, the robotic arm has allowed Rex to increase efficiency when it comes to surgery.

“Now surgeons can make things happen with the push of a button, whereas before they were dragging large pieces of equipment into and out of the rooms,” Byrd says of da Vinci robotics.

Through robotic surgery, physicians can work from a control center on the opposite end of a room and use articulating arms to do the work, resulting in less invasive procedures for applications such as gastrointestinal and gynecological surgeries. Robotics also have been used extensively to treat prostate cancer.

“It takes surgery beyond the limits of the human hand,” Byrd says. “It transforms the surgical experience.”

Rex Heartburn Center
Opened in July 2007, the Rex Heartburn Center was created as a multidisciplinary service addressing a common problem affecting the community.

“Estimates are that almost 30 percent of the population has some degree of heartburn, and about 10 percent actually needs surgery,” says Dr. Joel Dragelin, director.

“We make it so that patients can come in easily, get taken care of expediently, and get a treatment plan that standardizes care and follow-up.”

What makes the program unique is that it’s made up of many independent private practices, which are referred to clients on a rotating basis. Because of its specific focus, Dragelin says efficiency also is improved, cutting down the time it takes to be evaluated and treated from months to weeks.

“The hospital is committed to the program working and being state-of-the-art,” Dragelin notes.

“We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve.”

Endoscopic ultrasound technology
As part of its efforts to remain on the cutting edge, in 2007 Rex added endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) technology, which can be used to detect malignant cancer within the intestinal wall or in organs near the intestines, esophagus, and lungs. Lymphoma, sarcoma and other types of tumors can be detected utilizing the technology, which allows an endosonography professional to look directly through the wall of the intestines. It’s a painless procedure that avoids the need for incisions.

“EUS is not widely available in the U.S. and usually only is available in select tertiary teaching centers,” says Dr. Rig Patel, adjunct associate professor of medicine at UNC Chapel Hill and medical director of Rex’s endoscopic ultrasound program.

Patel adds that Rex’s program performs at the same level as these tertiary centers and is staffed by experienced, community-based EUS physicians. “The availability of this technology and skill allows patients to get quality assessment closer to home and in a timely manner,” he says.

David Strong

As president of Rex Healthcare, David Strong has had the responsibility of overseeing the entire hospital system since he joined in September 2004. Rex’s affiliation with UNC Healthcare initially drew him to the role, but Strong also credits the nonprofit hospital system’s board of trustees, as well as its “amazing physicians and co-workers.”

Raised in Oklahoma, Strong began his career mopping surgery floors in high school and college, eventually heading to graduate school for a master’s degree in hospital and health administration.

“I just enjoyed seeing people who made a difference,” he says of his early days in health care.

“Hospitals are pretty special places,” Strong adds. “There’s always an opportunity for people to touch lives.”
While he admits that significant challenges lie ahead for the hospital system — including keeping up with demand and wading through the current economic climate — Strong is confident in Rex’s continued success when it comes to quality care.

“The things I’m proud that Rex has attained are focused around how our co-workers take pride in the organization,” he says, citing top rankings in physician satisfaction, as well as being named to several nationally ranked top hospitals lists.

Mary Lou Powell

As senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Mary Lou Powell has a lot on her plate.

“It’s a balance between quality and finances,” she says of her role, which involves everything from dealing with a patient complaint to handling construction of a building to settling a personnel issue.

“There’s never a dull moment, and that’s what I love about my job.”

It’s that combination of science and art that led Powell to become a nurse more than 30 years ago. She was working at a nationally recognized hospital in Chicago when she received a call from a recruiter.

“I wasn’t unhappy there, but my husband and I decided to shake things up a little if a good opportunity arose for either of us,” she says.

Similar to Strong, what caught her attention was the hospital system’s affiliation with UNC Healthcare.

“When you come from another part of the country, you’re not that familiar with community hospitals,” Powell admits. “But when it’s the community hospital for UNC, it takes it to a different level.”

What sealed the deal for her was Rex’s commitment to nursing.

“I couldn’t help but feel that it would be a great place to work,” she says. “I’ve been some wonderful places in my career, but I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven coming here.”

Dr. Timothy Carter

Dr. Timothy Carter’s hospital-based pathology practice has always had close connections with Rex’s various departments, so it seemed only natural for him to assume the then-newly created role of medical director of patient safety in 2004. His roles as president and chairman of various staff and executive committees also didn’t hurt.

“I already had developed a rapport with the various hospital departments, so it seemed natural for me to continue to play some role in facilitating communication and decision-making with regard to quality of care and patient safety issues,” he says.

Carter — who currently serves as medical director of transfusion medicine, medical director of Rex Blood Plan/Rex Blood Services and chairman of pathology for the hospital system — was planning for a career in developmental biology when he was encouraged by a professor to attend medical school.

“During my clinical rotations, I liked everything,” he admits. “I could see myself doing surgery or medicine or OB-GYN or pediatrics, but the rotation that brought all of my personal interests together was pathology.”

This field proved to be an ideal mix of basic science, diagnostic clinical medicine, hands-on varied activity and involvement in patient care for Carter. Surgical pathology, he says, combined the best of both worlds.

“As a surgical pathologist, my greatest satisfaction comes from correctly diagnosing a patient’s problem,” he says.

“And as medical director for patient safety, my position is a symbol of all the hard work so many other people are doing at Rex to continuously improve patient outcomes.”

Dr. Kenneth Zeitler

Not surprisingly, Dr. Kenneth Zeitler, a UNC graduate, was drawn to the unique partnership with UNC Healthcare when choosing Rex. As a hematologist-medical oncologist since 1981, Zeitler — who also serves as medical director of the Rex Cancer Center — appreciates the respect for both organizations’ missions.

“There’s a very different perspective between corporate and not-for-profit medicine,” he says.

“Working at a nonprofit was an attractive opportunity as far as how I believe medicine should be practiced.”
Zeitler’s father — and his inspiration — was a primary-care physician. He tries to emulate him as much as possible, as do his brother, daughter and sons, who are all doctors as well.

“He loved what he did, and I saw the way he was respected in the community and the way patients loved him,” he says.

Zeitler went through a process of elimination in medical school, finally deciding on hematology-oncology. He “fell under the spell” of an oncologist in Boston, who became a mentor.

“I saw the way he approached patients and his care, and that inspired me,” he notes. “I also got into it because of the nature and excitement over the science of it.”

While Zeitler admits that he gets tremendous satisfaction out of helping to cure patients of cancer, he says finding a way to still gain satisfaction from those who can’t be cured is a challenge.

“It’s the yin and the yang,” he says. “The great successes and failures go hand in hand.”

Dr. Jeffrey M. Crane

Dr. Jeffrey M. Crane, also a hematologist-oncologist with the Rex Cancer Center and a senior physician at Rex, had a private practice for years before deciding to join the organization. He had served in several positions at Rex from 1992 through 2002 — including as chairman of the department of medicine, secretary and president of the medical staff, and a member of the board of trustees — so it was a natural fit with an organization with which he was familiar.

While serving with the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the state’s Oncology Society, Crane began to see the field evolve from one of managed care to one of integration of health care systems.
“I could feel there was a lack of integrated support for the cancer patient that was happening in private practice,” he notes. “It was becoming more and more about the provider, the physician and the corporate world.”

At Rex, he feels like part of an integrated team of professionals dedicated to caring for the whole patient, from delivery of chemotherapy to issues of financial support, proper nutrition, and physical therapy.

“It’s been very rewarding emotionally, spiritually and intellectually,” he says.

During the time Crane was determining his field of study, he became drawn to oncology as his mother became ill with terminal cancer.

“I learned through that experience that there were intimate and delicate issues about caring for patients with these kinds of life-threatening illnesses,” he notes. “I immediately felt comfortable and psychologically complete in dealing with these issues.”