Newswise — Cleveland - The American Society of Clinical Oncology today announced the appointment of Neal J. Meropol, MD, to its 18-member Board of Directors. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer.

Dr. Meropol is Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Meropol, who is also Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, is an internationally-known colon cancer clinical researcher whose work spans the spectrum from cancer prevention to treatment.

“As a board member, my primary motivation to serve is to improve the care of patients with cancer,” said Dr. Meropol. “ASCO is a highly-effective organization with a clear mission. We can take a leadership role in helping policymakers address health care issues, bringing together physicians, payers, and producers for constructive, solution-oriented dialogue. In an era of health care reform discussion, ASCO has the opportunity to leverage the unique aspects of oncology to maintain a meaningful voice with an overall focus on improving quality of care.”

“Neal is a national leader in clinical research and has an outstanding record as a clinical and translational investigator, as well as a leader in the field of oncology. He is the first medical oncologist in Cleveland to assume this national leadership position in the 30 year history of the society,” said Stanton Gerson, MD, Asa and Patricia Shiverick- Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center. “ASCO is a prestigious and highly respected organization. Having a Cleveland voice will benefit our community.”

With more than 30,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer.

The ASCO Board of Directors is responsible for executing the mission, vision and strategic management of the organization and translating ASCO’s mission into ongoing programs that attain the organization’s goals.

Dr. Meropol joined Case Western Reserve University and UH Case Medical Center in July 2009 as Associate Director for Clinical Research of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and Section Chief of Medical Oncology from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He has an international reputation for his contributions in gastrointestinal malignancies, having conducted important studies of new treatments that have become standard of care, and his research to improve methods for helping patients communicate with their doctors and make decisions about their care. Additionally, Dr. Meropol holds a variety of national positions that impact cancer care and healthcare policy, including co-chair of the NCI Gastrointestinal Steering Committee.

Dr. Meropol received his MD from Vanderbilt University. He completed a residency at UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. He began his academic career at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and moved to Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1998. Dr. Meropol also completed a sabbatical at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Meropol currently holds the Dr. Lester E. Coleman, Jr. Chair in Cancer Research and Therapeutics at UH Case Medical Center.

About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and is among the nation’s top medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching. The School’s innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century. Nine Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the School of Medicine.

Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 800 MD and MD/PhD students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News & World Report’s “Guide to Graduate Education.”

The School of Medicine’s primary affiliate is University Hospitals Case Medical Center and is additionally affiliated with MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002. http://casemed.case.edu

About Case Comprehensive Cancer CenterCase Comprehensive Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located at Case Western Reserve University. The center, now in its 22nd year of funding, integrates the cancer research activities of the largest biomedical research and health care institutions in Ohio – Case Western Reserve, University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic. NCI-designated cancer centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate a diversity of research approaches to focus on the problem of cancer. It is led by Stanton Gerson, MD, Asa and Patricia Shiverick- Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, director of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Case Western Reserve, and director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center.

About University HospitalsUniversity Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary care physicians. At the core of our health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation and the world, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics and spine, radiology and radiation oncology, neurosurgery and neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, organ transplantation and human genetics. Its main campus includes the internationally celebrated UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the 2012 recipient of the American Hospital Association – McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for its leadership and innovation in quality improvement and safety.For more information, go to www.uhhospitals.org

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