Janna Andrews, MD, joined Northwell Health in 2014 as a radiation oncologist. She is an associate professor of radiation medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and she is chair of radiation medicine at Phelps Hospital. After graduating from Temple University School of Medicine, Dr. Andrews completed her residency at Emory University School of Medicine and her fellowship at University of California San Francisco. While she had initially planned to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, she felt her perspective would be just as valuable in a field like radiation oncology. “As a young, Black, female physician, I’m very aware of the existing and worsening healthcare disparities, and I wanted to address those in radiation oncology,” she says. “It’s my goal to take great care of all patients but I also know that I can contribute to my community in terms of representation.” Dr. Andrews’ research focuses on addressing disparities, particularly in clinical trials. Chronically, there has been a lack of racial diversity in trials for a number of reasons including; medical mistrust, access limitations and institutional factors. Dr. Andrews believes we have a long way to go before trials adequately reflect the demographics of all patients, but that maintaining this as a priority can advance trials and cancer care in the right direction. She appreciates that Northwell Health has been deeply supportive of these efforts, as well as other initiatives to acknowledge the need for more diversity and representation in patient care. In terms of her own interactions with patients, Dr. Andrews says they’ve taught her the importance of resilience and optimism, and most of all, the value of true support. “I’ve seen the most amazing love stories here,” she says. “That’s not just romantic, but also among friends and family of my patients. The care and support that people offer one another really does positively impact treatment and survivorship, and it’s inspiring to see.”
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