Joanna Metzner-Sadurski, MD, was honored with the Community Oncology Yvonne Award during the Yvonne Awards Ceremony at OncoDaily Party 2026, held on May 29 at Park West in Chicago.
Natera was the exclusive partner of the Yvonne Awards Ceremony and OncoDaily Reception.
The recognition highlights Dr. Metzner-Sadurski’s long-standing commitment to community oncology, rural cancer care, clinical research access, palliative and hospice leadership, geriatric oncology, and patient-centered care in South Carolina. Her career reflects the essential role of community oncologists who bring high-quality cancer treatment, research opportunities, education, and supportive care closer to patients and families outside large academic centers.
The Community Oncology Yvonne Award recognizes professionals whose work strengthens cancer care where patients live. In Dr. Metzner-Sadurski’s case, that work has been built over more than two decades through clinical service, leadership, research, outreach, and a deep commitment to improving oncology care in a regional community setting.
A Career Anchored in Community Cancer Care
Joanna Metzner-Sadurski has served as Director of Medical Oncology at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina, since 2005. She has also worked as a staff physician in hematology and oncology at Self Regional Healthcare, bringing long-term continuity and leadership to cancer care in the region.
Her professional path reflects the foundation of strong community oncology: staying close to patients over time, understanding the needs of local populations, and building services that allow patients to receive care without unnecessary distance, delay, or disruption.
Before joining Self Regional Healthcare, she worked as a staff physician in hematology and oncology at the Cancer Center of the Carolinas in Greenville, South Carolina. Her training includes a hematology/oncology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina, an internal medicine residency at Columbia University, St. Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital, and a medical degree from the University of Medical Sciences in Poznan, Poland.
Expanding Research Access for Underserved Patients
One of Joanna Metzner-Sadurski’s major contributions has been her role as Director of Medical Research for the MUSC Minority-Underserved NCORP Program at Self Regional Cancer Center, a position she has held since 2012.
This work is central to the mission of community oncology. Clinical trials and cancer research are often concentrated in major academic centers, while many patients receive care in community hospitals and regional cancer programs. By helping bring research infrastructure into a community setting, Dr. Metzner-Sadurski has contributed to a model where patients can access study participation closer to home.
Her research-related honors reflect this impact. She received the NCORP Gold Investigator Award, the NCORP Highest Enrolling Investigator MUSC HCC Award, and the Gold Certificate Award for Accruals from NIH MUSC NCORP in 2025. These recognitions point to sustained work in enrolling patients, maintaining research quality, and supporting clinical trial participation in a community-based environment.
Leadership Across Oncology, Hospice, and Community Health
Dr. Metzner-Sadurski’s leadership extends across several regional and professional organizations. She serves on the Board of the South Carolina Oncology Society, the Board of Directors of the Greenwood Cancer Fund, the Board of Directors of the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation, and the Board of Directors of Care of Piedmont, which focuses on palliative and hospice care.
These roles reflect a broad view of oncology care. Cancer treatment does not exist in isolation. Patients need diagnosis, systemic therapy, supportive care, symptom management, survivorship support, palliative care, and, when needed, hospice services. Dr. Metzner-Sadurski’s leadership across these areas demonstrates a commitment to the full continuum of care.
She also serves as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus. These academic appointments reflect her continued involvement in education and professional training.
Building Oncology Education Through Oncology
In 2025, Joanna Metzner-Sadurski became Executive Director of Oncology101.org, further strengthening her role in cancer education.
Education is a critical part of community oncology. Patients and families often face cancer with fear, uncertainty, and a need for clear information. Clinicians and allied health professionals also need accessible, practical education that supports high-quality care. Through her work in medical education, physician assistant training, and oncology learning platforms, Dr. Metzner-Sadurski has helped extend oncology knowledge beyond the clinic room.
She has served as a Physician Assistant Preceptor for the Presbyterian College PA Program since 2021 and as Adjunct Faculty for the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning since 2024. These roles reflect her commitment to training healthcare professionals who will serve patients across clinical settings.
A Strong Voice for Geriatric and Rural Oncology
Joanna Metzner-Sadurski’s work also includes a clear focus on geriatric oncology and rural cancer care. She completed the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Fellowship Program and an advanced course in geriatric oncology in Treviso, Italy, in 2019.
This focus is especially important in community oncology, where many patients are older adults living with multiple health needs, transportation barriers, limited caregiver support, and varying levels of functional reserve. Geriatric oncology helps clinicians look beyond cancer stage alone and consider function, frailty, goals of care, treatment tolerance, and quality of life.
Her recent work also includes exercise oncology in rural cancer care. She co-authored “From Fatigue to Function: Redefining Rural Cancer Care Through Exercise Oncology” and contributed to a pilot study of an exercise program for oncology patients in a rural setting.
This work reflects a practical and patient-centered question: how can oncology care help patients not only live longer, but also function better during and after treatment?
Research, Publications, and Clinical Investigation
Joanna Metzner-Sadurski’s research and publications include work in breast cancer, HER2/neu amplified disease, taxane-associated complications, supportive oncology, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, head and neck cancer, rural exercise oncology, and symptom management.
Her collaborative research includes studies on HER2/neu amplified breast cancer cases and patient demographics and HER2/neu intratumoral heterogeneity. Her clinical investigation work includes studies in metastatic breast cancer and taxane-induced canaliculitis.
She has also contributed to presentations at major oncology meetings, including the San Antonio Breast Cancer Meeting and the International Society of Geriatric Oncology. Her work demonstrates how community-based investigators can contribute important evidence from real-world patient populations and regional care settings.
Recognition From Patients, Colleagues, and Research Networks
Dr. Metzner-Sadurski’s honors reflect both professional achievement and community trust. She received The Index Journal Readers’ Choice Award for Best Oncologist and Hematologist in 2019 and 2024. She also received the Community MD Award from Hospice of Piedmont in 2017 and a Service Excellence Physician of the Quarter recognition from Self Regional Healthcare in 2015.
These awards speak to a career measured not only by titles or publications, but also by the trust of patients, families, colleagues, and the community.
Honoring a Community Oncology Career With Lasting Impact
The Community Oncology Yvonne Award recognizes Dr. Joanna Metzner-Sadurski for a career dedicated to bringing oncology care, clinical research, education, and supportive services into the community setting.
At OncoDaily Party 2026, her recognition highlighted the importance of physicians who build cancer programs close to home. Community oncologists often carry the responsibility of delivering complex treatment, coordinating referrals, supporting patients through difficult decisions, and making research accessible to populations that are too often underrepresented.
Through her work at Self Regional Healthcare, the MUSC Minority-Underserved NCORP Program, Oncology101.org, regional oncology organizations, and community outreach initiatives, Dr. Metzner-Sadurski continues to represent the best of community oncology: practical leadership, patient trust, research access, and care rooted in the needs of the people she serves.
Written by Nare Hovhannisyan, MD