Rxtra, February 2008 - Hartford Hospital!

Drs. Robert Piorkowski and
Ramon Jimenez, both Hartford
Hospital surgical oncologists,
received prestigious appointments by
the American College of Surgeons
Commission on Cancer recently. Dr.
Piorkowski has served as the chair
of the Connecticut Cancer Liaison
Physicians for the past nine years. He
now has been appointed as a national
member of the Commission on Cancer
(COC), composed of 97 individuals
who are either surgeons representing
the American College of Surgeons, or
representatives from 42 other national
professional organizations or member
organizations.
This prestigious appointment
is limited to those individuals who
have demonstrated true professional
leadership regionally and nationally, and
who will contribute to standard-setting
and promote excellence in cancer
care nationally. Dr. Piorkowski has
also been appointed a member of the
Commission on Cancer Committee on
Cancer Liaison, directing activities of
the Cancer Liaison Program nationally.
Ramon Jimenez, MD, who has
served as Hartford Hospital’s cancer
liaison physician, has recently received
a three-year appointment as the state
chair of the American College of
Surgeons Commission on Cancer
Liaison Commission Program. State
chairs are volunteer physicians who
serve as COC representatives and
provide leadership and support to the
COC accredited programs and cancer
liaison physicians in their state. He
succeeds Dr. Piorkowski in this role.
Dr. Jimenez is among a network
of 64 state chairpersons who guide
the activities of more than 1,600
volunteer cancer liaison physicians
appointed in cancer programs across
the country. Cancer liaison physicians
spearhead COC initiatives within
their cancer program, collaborate with
local agencies, such as the American
4
Hartford Hospital surgical oncologists appointed to pre-eminent cancer positions
Drs. Robert Piorkowski (left) and Ramon Jimenez
Cancer Society, and facilitate quality
improvement initiatives utilizing data
submitted to the COC’s National Cancer
Data Base (NCDB). Dr. Jimenez
will also work with the American
Cancer Society, the Connecticut
Cancer Registry, and the Connecticut
Department of Public Health to support
data-driven comprehensive cancer
control planning throughout the state.
As state chair, Dr. Jimenez is the
main contact between the American
College of Surgeons Commission on
Cancer, and the local chapter of the
American College of Surgeons. The
commission achieves its goal through
standard-setting, cancer prevention,
research, and educational activities,
as well as monitoring comprehensive
quality care.
Hartford Hospital is fully accredited
by the American College of Surgeons
Commission on Cancer in the teaching
hospital division.
“Hartford Hospital could not be
more proud of Dr. Piorkowski for his
new national leadership position, and
Dr. Jimenez for his statewide leadership
position,” said Andrew Salner, MD,
director of the Helen & Harry Gray
Cancer Center at Hartford Hospital.
“They have each devoted substantial
personal and professional efforts to
enhance Hartford Hospital’s Cancer
Program, and to ensure that we are true
leaders in providing cancer care in New
England.”
Drs. Piorkowski and Jimenez
provide surgical care for a wide variety
of cancer types, and participate in
multidisciplinary collaborative care
with colleagues in the other cancer
specialties. Dr. Piorkowski’s major
interests include treatment of patients
with cancer of the breast, melanomas,
sarcomas, and head and neck tumors.
Dr. Jimenez’s major interests are caring
for patients with cancers of the breast,
liver, pancreas, and GI malignancies.
For more information on the Cancer
Liaison Program and the Commission
on Cancer, visit www.facs.org/cancer.