Gordon Ashby jokes that he wishes he’d found a different path to faith. But it is exactly that faith that sustained him through multiple bouts with cancer.

“It’s been really amazing, especially with all the support at GBMC, that when there is something that looks like it is not working well, I can get together with my team, come up with solutions, and we can actually make something happen,” she says.

Dr. Robert Donegan’s interest in medical oncology began with kitchen table conversations growing up. His mother was one of the early oncology nurses at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1970s. And his older sister Sarah became an oncology research pharmacist. One might say it is in his genes.

With his gift to the campaign to create a new home for cancer care at GBMC, the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion, Dr. Gary Cohen is also building on his legacy. He has chosen to fund a specific feature of the building that is meaningful to him and to his family.

At every turn of his cancer journey at GBMC, Ralph and Marcy Campbell found kindness. She was so moved by the care everyone at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute took of Ralph that after his death, she determined she wanted to give something back. After reviewing her assets and ensuring she had enough to live on and could take care of her children, she established a charitable gift annuity to benefit the Cancer Institute.

Michael Stein, MHSA, FACMPE, has been promoted to Vice President, Clinical and Support Operations, effective November 14. In this new role, Mike oversees oncology, radiology, laboratory, volunteers, food and nutrition, environmental services, patient transport, and the Service Response Center (SRC). Before this, Mike was the Executive Director of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute.

GBMC HealthCare’s vision is to every patient, every time, we will provide the care we would want for our own loved ones. This is something our nurses embody on a daily basis.

Last year was a big one for The Promise Project. After breaking ground on the Louis and Phyllis Friedman Building in September 2021, the team at GBMC spent 2022 constructing and closing in the exterior structure for the Friedman Building and laying the groundwork for the adjacent parking structure and Sandra R. Berman Pavilion.

On Thursday, December 8 we held the fifth session of our educational series, GBMC SAFE & DV Community Collaboration: How Domestic Violence Advocates Support Our Community

“Mommy. My body feels...itchy...” Bleary-eyed and in a sleepless postpartum haze, I was tempted to not even turn on the light. Certain my 4-year-old had woken me to inspect a minuscule bug bite or scratchy pajama tag, I was a little annoyed. Good thing I checked.

Glenn “Glennie” Reynolds Martin's relationship with GBMC and one of its founding hospitals, the Hospital for the Women of Maryland, of Baltimore City (Women's Hospital) began with her mother-in-law.

Claire Cafirma, MSN, RN, CNOR, Director of Perioperative, Endoscopy, and Interventional Radiology Services at GBMC HealthCare, knew from an early age she wanted to be a nurse. Growing up in the Philippines, she felt she needed to leave her country to get the best experience for her career.

In 2021, more than 2,300 cancer patients who lacked the resources to travel to their appointments at GBMC were provided with free transportation. This service was made possible by donors like Eugenia Starghill.

After a full week of giving her all in caring for patients in the Outpatient Infusion Center at GBMC’s Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute, Judy Feeney, RN, likes to get outdoors on the weekend.

“Our fundamental understanding of the biology of cancer has changed so much. Every time I see a patient benefit from the targeted therapy or immunotherapy, which are more effective and less toxic – I get a chill.”

A 2019 gift from Dr. Gary Cohen came to fruition Friday, October 14, 2022, when J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP, gave his presentation, "Early Detection of Cancer: An Unfinished Journey." The many clinicians who attended gained valuable insights into the promise and limitations of new detection and treatment methods for cancer.

When the opportunity to support the future of patient care in The Promise Project came up, the Bozzuto family immediately recognized what it would mean for patients and the community. The family's gift will support the Louis and Phyllis Friedman Building, a sizeable advancement in space for patients, family members and care teams to treat patients with the advanced technologies and compassionate care everyone deserves. 

For almost 20 years, labor and delivery nurse Kristan Zylka, BSN, RN, has been assisting in welcoming babies into the world at GBMC. “It never gets old,” she said. “Every story is different. Every family has its own uniqueness, and it is a thrill every time. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

The three-level addition to GBMC’s main hospital has been named in recognition of one exceptional couple’s generosity to The Promise Project campaign.

I work in Radiation Oncology at GBMC and have been here for 3 years.

We are pleased to reveal our final renderings for the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion.

We asked some of the leaders of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute what inspired them to work with cancer patients. In each edition of Greater Together, we will feature one of their answers.

In the back of her mind, Alicia Barger always knew something was coming.

Some of the first donors to the campaign to create a new home for cancer care at GBMC, the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion, have been those who understand best how much it will improve our patients’ experience. These include current and former patients, as well as their doctors. One doctor who has contributed is Dr. Frank Rotolo.

When The Promise Project is complete, a permanent installment of Dr. Peter J. Golueke will remind patients that, at GBMC, they are being cared for with the same compassion and skill he brought to his practice.

The Christmyers’ support of The Promise Project directly impacts patient care by providing more space for the care team and the caregivers to support patients in their health journey. But it also supports the healthcare workers who will be utilizing these spaces, the same healthcare workers Carol and Gordon worked alongside for many years, healthcare workers like them who served patients selflessly.

When you have a healthcare need that isn’t an emergency, but your primary care doctor is unavailable for an appointment right away, it can be a challenge to figure out where to turn. For patients who get their care at a GBMC Health Partners advanced primary care practice, another solution is now available with Padonia Plus.

In order to move closer toward a vision of serving every patient, every time as we would our own loved ones, GBMC felt the best way to truly understand the patient experience was going straight to the source.

Each year in May, we host an Art of Nursing event, an opportunity to celebrate with and recognize these amazing caregivers. This year, we have added a new award to our roster: the Nightingale Award. Named after Florence Nightingale, the “founder of modern nursing,” this award was voted on live at the Art of Nursing event on May 12.

In 2022, GBMC received a multi-year, $1.5 million grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC)*. This funding was awarded under the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act, legislation approved by the Maryland General Assembly. Under the program, GBMC will expand its Health Partners Primary Care—Jonestown location as well as provide in-home medical care through the Gilchrist Elder Medical Care (EMC) program to residents of zip codes 21202 and 21218.