Douglas Flora: A stark reminder of something that AI cannot (yet) do
Douglas Flora shared on LinkedIn:
“As many of you know, I’m a cancer survivor (early-stage renal cell resected over 6 years ago). I’m currently waiting on scan results from yesterday, and the dreaded scanxiety looms as I wait. It’s a stark reminder of something that AI cannot (yet) do—to calmly reassure as my own doctors have done. So much of a cancer patient’s journey is mental, even for this perpetually upbeat and optimistic patient/doctor. Cancer care is about so much more than chemotherapies and CT scans.
Enter my amazing team at St. Elizabeth Healthcare Integrative Oncology—I’m so proud we offer 1:1 and group counseling for our patients with our in-house partners Cancer Family Care and Cancer Support Community. A food pantry for patients with food insecurity. Caring nurse navigators, social workers, dieticians, chaplains, massage therapists, and more provide holistic support and Whole Person Care for patients just like me. All for FREE!
Taking care of the mind is just as important as treating the body, and I’m grateful for the incredible team helping us provide truly comprehensive caring. Dwinelva Zackery, Maggie Biesinger, Jill Settlemyre, Kelly Schoen, please keep leading with mission and big hearts, your teams’ work is so important.
P.S. My scans will be fine, but even intellectually knowing that, the patient is still anxious.
Update: scans were fine 🙂 thanks to those of you who’ve reached out to check on me!”
Source: Douglas Flora/LinkedIn
Douglas Flora is the Executive Medical Director of Oncology Services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, overseeing clinical operations, strategic planning, and the expansion of cancer programs. He is also the co-founder of the Center for Precision Medicine; Genomic Health.
As the Editor-in-Chief of ‘AI in Precision Oncology,’ the first peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to this field, he plays a pivotal role in advancing research. He is also an active board member of the American Cancer Society and ACCC, where he contributes to advocacy, education, and innovation within the cancer community.