Douglas Flora, Executive Medical Director of Yung Family Cancer Center at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, President-Elect of the Association of Cancer Care Centers, and Editor in Chief of AI in Precision Oncology, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for many things. The progress we’re making against cancer. The patients who trust us with their lives. The technology that’s finally catching up to our ambitions. But if I’m being honest about one of the things that I’m most grateful for, it’s simpler than any of that. I get to work with my brother.
Daniel Flora and I have practiced oncology together for years now. I’ve watched him in the clinic. I’ve seen him with patients at their worst moments and their best. And I can tell you this without hesitation: nobody tries harder, and nobody cares more. That’s not brotherly bias. That’s observation.
Dan is the kind of doctor who stays late not because he has to, but because a patient needed 15 more minutes—the kind who remembers the names of spouses, children, and pets. The kind who sits down—actually sits down—so he’s eye level with a patient getting hard news. These details matter. They’re the difference between a patient feeling like a case and feeling like a person.
I’m proud of who he is as a doctor. I’m proud of who he is as a person. And recently, I’ve become proud of who he is as a writer. Dan has started sharing his perspective on cancer care, and it’s unlike anything else out there. It’s the most authentic, behind-the-scenes, honest look at oncology from the inside that I’ve seen. No polish. No spin. Just the reality of what it’s like to walk into an exam room knowing you’re about to change someone’s life, and doing it anyway, day after day.
If you’re not already following him, check out his work. You’ll be glad you did. Here’s what I’ve realized watching Dan write: I spend a lot of time talking about driving smarter cancer care. Using AI to catch what we’d miss. Using data to personalize treatment. Using technology to extend our reach. All of it in hopes that we can help more people.
Dan amplifies that mission. But he also reminds me—and all of us—that smarter isn’t enough. We also need kinder cancer care, too. The best oncology care isn’t just about getting the diagnosis right or choosing the optimal therapy. It’s about how you deliver that diagnosis. How do you hold space for fear? How do you make someone feel seen when they’re terrified of disappearing? Technology can make us smarter. Only we can make ourselves kinder.
I’m grateful this Thanksgiving that I get to pursue both—and do so alongside my brother. Dan, thanks for making me a better doctor. Thanks for reminding me why we do this. And thanks for being exactly who you are.
Happy Thanksgiving.”
More posts featuring Douglas Flora.