Encouraging Collaboration at the Inaugural Reception Celebrating the ASCO Annual Meeting in ChicagoWith a backdrop of the beautiful Chicago River and skyline, members of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, alumni of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and attendees of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) Annual Meeting gathered at the Trump International Hotel and Tower to network and discuss new developments, careers, and opportunities for future collaboration. Hosted by the Lurie Cancer Center, the Feinberg School of Medicine, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the June 6 reception also celebrated ASCO’s commitment to hold its Annual Meeting in Chicago for the next 10 years.  | Drs. Chisholm and Platanias (l to r) |
A nonprofit organization dedicated to the overarching goals of improving cancer care and prevention, ASCO is comprised of physicians and healthcare professionals representing all oncology disciplines and subspecialties. The 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting focused on “advancing quality through innovation,” as cancer specialists from around the nation gathered to discuss new advances in research, quality, practice, and technology in cancer. Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, Jesse, Sara, Andrew, Abigail, Benjamin, and Elizabeth Lurie Professor of Oncology, began the short formal program by welcoming and thanking all those in attendance. “This has been a day for celebrations,” he began, referencing the Lurie Cancer Center’s Cancer Survivors’ Celebration and Walk that had taken place with over 3,500 participants earlier in the day. “It has also been a year of progress and some exciting new developments,” he added, highlighting the new Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care and the recently established Physical Sciences-Oncology Center.  | Al Benson III, MD, FACP, associate director for clinical investigations atthe Lurie Cancer Center, Ellen V. Sigal, chair and founder, Friends of Cancer Research, and Timothy Volpe, associate director for administration at the Lurie Cancer Center (l to r) |
To share additional insight into the vision and future of the Lurie Cancer Center, Dr. Platanias introduced Rex L. Chisholm, PhD, Adam and Richard T. Lind Professor of Medical Genetics and Dean for Research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Chisholm began his remarks by discussing Northwestern MedicineTM, a guiding vision to create a cohesive community of collaborators across the clinical affiliates at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and the medical school. “What do we need to do to propel ourselves to the next level of excellence?” In posing this question, Dr. Chisholm shared Northwestern’s ambitious goal of becoming a top 10 academic medical center by 2020. Going further, Dr. Chisholm elaborated on the main components of this vision—delivering exceptional care, advancing medical science and knowledge, and developing people, culture, and resources—all of which are already occurring at the Lurie Cancer Center under the guidance of its director, Steven T. Rosen, MD, Genevieve E. Teuton Professor of Medicine. In summary, Dr. Chisholm expressed the excitement surrounding Northwestern Medicine, characterized by terrific partners, leaders, and an outstanding physical plan. He closed his remarks with a sincere welcome to the city, encouraging the physicians and health care providers in attendance to enjoy their time in Chicago. | 
