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Important info for anyone contacting Dr. Sato in Philadelphia

Forums Ocular Melanoma Community Important info for anyone contacting Dr. Sato in Philadelphia

  • Post
    ThatHomeschoolDad
    Participant

      This is a re-post from the other OM forums and list, so kindly excuse the duplication if you subscribe to multiple sources.  I'm casting a rather large net to try to hit as many eyeballs as possible.

      Renee Zalinsky, RN, OCN, Senior Cancer Care Coordinator of the OM program at Thomas Jefferson, and all-around real-life super hero, is reporting that Dr. Sato and the Jeff team are swamped with requests from patients seeking second opinions.

      This is a re-post from the other OM forums and list, so kindly excuse the duplication if you subscribe to multiple sources.  I'm casting a rather large net to try to hit as many eyeballs as possible.

      Renee Zalinsky, RN, OCN, Senior Cancer Care Coordinator of the OM program at Thomas Jefferson, and all-around real-life super hero, is reporting that Dr. Sato and the Jeff team are swamped with requests from patients seeking second opinions.

      If you are a current or former patient of Dr. Sato, or if you're already having Sato look at your scans while in treatment elsewhere, no problem.  However, the Jefferson team can't handle the influx of new scan review requests from non-patients.  This major hub of the OM world is, incredibly, run with just a few doctors and support staff juggling patients, consults, and original research.

      Per Renee:

      "Please let patients know for those that are "grandfathered" in, we will still review their imaging and give input.  At present, the patients on hold are those who are just sending their imaging for Dr. Sato's review with no intentions on coming to see him.  I understand patients wanting a second set of eyes looking at their imaging to confirm benign vs. malignant disease…..but this review process is time consuming and taking away from patients under active treatment and spreading everyone a little too thin."

      Renee also encourages everyone to write letters to the hospital in support of Dr. Sato's work and to encourage expansion of the Metastatic Uveal Melanoma program.  Here are the big guns to contact:
       
      David P. McQuaid, FACHE
      President
      Jefferson University Hospitals
      111 S. 11th Street
      Gibbon Building, Suite 2210-L
      Philadelphia, PA 19107
       
      and
       
      Richard G. Pestell, MD, PhD, MBBS, FRACP, MBA
      Chairman/Director
      Cancer Biology
      Kimmel Cancer Center
      Bluemle Life Sciences Building
      233 S. 10th Street, Room 1050
      Philadelphia, PA 19107
       
      and
       
      Neal Flomenberg, MD
      Chairman, Medical Oncology
      834 Chestnut Street, Suite 320
      Philadelphia, PA 19107

       

      –Tom

    Viewing 5 reply threads
    • Replies
        TheCancerFund
        Participant

          What if our intention is NOT to just have Dr Sato look at our scans but to get the best chance at treatment as well? Is this something Dr Scott in Houston can take care of? It was my understanding that Dr Scott is more a researcher and not a treatment Doc. When I am looking at having the most aggressive primary tumor that has all the indicators of GNaq, monosomy, Type II, etc, I dont want to leave my life up to just anyone do I?

          David

            ThatHomeschoolDad
            Participant

              I don't know about Scott, but if you're seeking a first step for treatment, then yes, I'd run right to Dr. Sato.  He is taking new patients.  It's just the outside consult load that is becoming unmanageable.  I started with Sato and immunoembolizations, then went to Pittsburgh for IHP, now I'm back at Sato.

               

              –Tom

              ThatHomeschoolDad
              Participant

                I don't know about Scott, but if you're seeking a first step for treatment, then yes, I'd run right to Dr. Sato.  He is taking new patients.  It's just the outside consult load that is becoming unmanageable.  I started with Sato and immunoembolizations, then went to Pittsburgh for IHP, now I'm back at Sato.

                 

                –Tom

                ThatHomeschoolDad
                Participant

                  I don't know about Scott, but if you're seeking a first step for treatment, then yes, I'd run right to Dr. Sato.  He is taking new patients.  It's just the outside consult load that is becoming unmanageable.  I started with Sato and immunoembolizations, then went to Pittsburgh for IHP, now I'm back at Sato.

                   

                  –Tom

                TheCancerFund
                Participant

                  What if our intention is NOT to just have Dr Sato look at our scans but to get the best chance at treatment as well? Is this something Dr Scott in Houston can take care of? It was my understanding that Dr Scott is more a researcher and not a treatment Doc. When I am looking at having the most aggressive primary tumor that has all the indicators of GNaq, monosomy, Type II, etc, I dont want to leave my life up to just anyone do I?

                  David

                  TheCancerFund
                  Participant

                    What if our intention is NOT to just have Dr Sato look at our scans but to get the best chance at treatment as well? Is this something Dr Scott in Houston can take care of? It was my understanding that Dr Scott is more a researcher and not a treatment Doc. When I am looking at having the most aggressive primary tumor that has all the indicators of GNaq, monosomy, Type II, etc, I dont want to leave my life up to just anyone do I?

                    David

                    TheCancerFund
                    Participant

                      What if our intention is NOT to just have Dr Sato look at our scans but to get the best chance at treatment as well? Is this something Dr Scott in Houston can take care of? It was my understanding that Dr Scott is more a researcher and not a treatment Doc. When I am looking at having the most aggressive primary tumor that has all the indicators of GNaq, monosomy, Type II, etc, I dont want to leave my life up to just anyone do I?

                      David

                      TheCancerFund
                      Participant

                        What if our intention is NOT to just have Dr Sato look at our scans but to get the best chance at treatment as well? Is this something Dr Scott in Houston can take care of? It was my understanding that Dr Scott is more a researcher and not a treatment Doc. When I am looking at having the most aggressive primary tumor that has all the indicators of GNaq, monosomy, Type II, etc, I dont want to leave my life up to just anyone do I?

                        David

                        TheCancerFund
                        Participant

                          What if our intention is NOT to just have Dr Sato look at our scans but to get the best chance at treatment as well? Is this something Dr Scott in Houston can take care of? It was my understanding that Dr Scott is more a researcher and not a treatment Doc. When I am looking at having the most aggressive primary tumor that has all the indicators of GNaq, monosomy, Type II, etc, I dont want to leave my life up to just anyone do I?

                          David

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