Cancer Society names Cassese as officer
Sandi Cassese, vice president of oncology services at Health Quest, has been named secretary of the national board of directors for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, a national nonprofit cancer advocacy organization.
A graduate of The Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing, SUNY New Paltz and Sage Graduate School, Cassese has been a registered nurse since 1979. A leader within her industry, she helped the New York State Department of Health and the American Cancer Society develop a training program and curriculum to teach nurses clinical breast examination skills, among many other achievements.
Cassese has spent the majority of her career working on projects focused on breast health. She worked for the Department of Defense, developing a breast health and screening program for the U.S. Army at West Point, Fort Drum, and Fort Monmouth, in conjunction with Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and served as the director of the HANYS Breast Cancer Demonstration Project, successfully obtaining a $1.6 million appropriation from the Federal government to work in partnership with hospitals and health care centers through New York State.
In 2002, Cassese became the first oncology service line administrator at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, where she was later named vice president for oncology and ambulatory services, leading the Dyson Center for Cancer Care to its recognition as an American College of Surgeons Comprehensive Cancer Center Outstanding Achievement recipient. She also spearheaded the effort to attain the CEO Cancer Gold Standard through American Cancer Society; Vassar Brothers Medical Center received that accreditation in 2010. In addition, Cassese has been honored with several awards herself, including the National Capital Dome Award, Saint George National Award, and Athena Award.
Cassese was also recently named president-elect of the American Cancer Society Eastern Division board of directors. She will begin that term in 2015.
Angela Keleher, director and lead breast surgeon, Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, and Dan Pavord, chief medical physicist at Health Quest.
Research director appointed
IAN PORTELLI has been appointed to director of research and analytics at Health Quest in LaGrangeville. Portelli will head the clinical research division, supporting collaborative clinical research within Health Quest and its affiliates, as well as supporting quality improvement projects.
Portelli has a Ph.D. in research and theory development from New York University, a Master”™s in Sciences degree from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, with a specialization in pediatric biogenetics and oncology, a Bachelor in Sciences degree from the University of Malta and a European PCNS and RN licensure.
For the past 15 years, he has held several research, management and clinical positions. Prior to moving to the United States, Portelli”™s career in Malta, Ireland and the United Kingdom was largely focused on biogenetics and the interpretation of hematology oncology-related pharmacogenomics treatment for chelation in pediatrics. Upon moving to the U.S., he worked on securing federal funding for post-9/11 disaster relief and mitigation and, in 2004, joined New York University School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine. His experience has also incorporated work to secure funding from federal agencies and organizations, including Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and the National Library of Medicine, among others. Portelli holds multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals, serving as a presenter and panelist at international emergency management conferences and advising medicine boards.
“His extensive background has given him a tremendous understanding of CQI (continuous quality improvement) metrics related to quality, risk and safety. He also has a true understanding of global public health, having worked on disaster-relief efforts over the years. The breadth and depth of his expertise will no doubt add a new dimension to our pursuit of excellence, and we look forward to his leadership,” said Ron Tatelbaum, chief medical officer, Health Quest.
Health Quest on TARGIT
Health Quest has announced that it had enrolled 36 patients in the TARGIT-A breast cancer treatment trial, which originally started in March 2000. Health Quest is one of only seven organizations in the United States that had offered this trial, one of only two in New York state. There are 33 centers in 11 countries represented in the first trial. Health Quest is now preparing to participate in a two-year registry trial to study the effectiveness of this new protocol for treating patients with early stage breast cancer.
The first study compared targeted intraoperative radiotherapy with whole breast radiotherapy for breast cancer with women ages 45 or older with invasive ductal breast carcinoma.
“The results of this trial have been extraordinary, and we look forward to securing greater participation for the next phase of this study. With this new approach to treating breast cancer, our patients can resume normal living after only one treatment. It has unquestionably transformed the lives of our patients, and we are confident that we are participating in something truly revolutionary in our field,” said Dan Pavord, assistant vice president for oncology services and chief medical physicist at Health Quest.
For more information, contact The Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Health Quest at (845) 483-6500 or visit health-quest.org/cancer.
OC Partnership adds board members
ALAN MARKS, chairman of the board of the Orange County Partnership, announced the addition of business professionals to the partnership board of directors.
“Our newest members have consistently shown a commitment to economic development and their knowledge and skills will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to keep Orange County competitive,” said Marks.
The new directors are DENNIS BARNETT, TIMOTHY P. CAWLEY, F. EDWARD DEVITT, JONAH MANDELBAUM and STEVEN NEUHAUS.
Barnett is president of Propinquity Associates Business and Management Consulting. Barnett teaches undergraduate courses in organizational leadership at Marist College and the Culinary Institute of America. He has served on and chaired a number of corporate boards and recently chaired the Orange County Capital Development Corp. that cultivated public/private partnerships to help entrepreneurs build their businesses in Orange County.
Cawley is president and CEO of Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison Inc. Prior to being named president and CEO, Cawley was the senior vice president of central operations for Con Ed. Cawley recently served on the board of directors of the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp.
Devitt, a lifelong resident of Orange County, is the founder and broker of Devitt Real Estate specializing in land subdivisions and the development of single-family dwellings and apartment complexes to contribute to the growth of the village of Montgomery. Additionally, Devitt founded numerous county-based corporations, including Devitt Management & Associates, Winding Hills Golf Course and Springhouse Apartments.
Mandelbaum, CEO of Warwick Properties Inc., a development corporation, nurtured his love for building through his involvement in a family-owned cabinet business. In 1984, Mandelbaum moved to Warwick and established MJJ Builders, which built single”family homes. In 1995, he expanded into building affordable multifamily housing for senior citizens. In addition to Warwick Properties, Mandelbaum is CEO of MJJ Builders Corp. and Devon Management.
Neuhaus was elected Orange County Executive in November 2013. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount St. Mary College and his master”™s degree in public administration from Marist College. As Chester town supervisor and councilman and vice president of special projects for Taylor Recycling, Neuhaus has management experience in both the public and private sectors.
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WARWICK VALLEY CHAMBER WINTER SOCIAL
Wednesday, Jan. 29, at The Copper Bottom Restaurant, 162 N. Main St. in Florida will welcome Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce members for an after-hours business mixer from 6 to 8 p.m. This is an opportunity to meet, greet and socialize with business professionals from around the region in a refreshingly refined setting.. Each guest will receive a special discount offer from the restaurant and also be eligible to win a variety of raffles and prizes. Copper Bottom Restaurant chef and owner Kevin May said, “I am looking forward to hosting this exclusive gathering at my establishment. ”¦” Cost is $10 for members, $20 for nonmembers. For more information or to make a reservation, call the chamber at (845) 986-2720 or email info@warwickcc.org.
From left, Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael Johndrow, board members Janine Dethmers and Kristen Weiss, and Copper Bottom Restaurant chef and owner Kevin May.
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Joint venture
Hudson Valley”™s FORECAST TRADING GROUP (FTG) and TIF FUND MANAGEMENT L.L.C. (TIFFM) have launched a joint venture in which FTG”™s active futures management will be included as a trading strategy in Triumph Fund”™s diversified share class or for greater transparency and daily liquidity, properly qualified investors may prefer to open a separate managed account , according to James S. Moore, managing director of FTG.
FTG actively trades a variety of highly liquid commodity futures, options and currency markets.
The management teams at FTG and TIFFM combine to bring more than 80 years of dealing and risk-management experience to investors. The minimum investment is $500,000 and limited to qualified eligible persons in accordance with CFTC Regulation 4.7.
