Community Oncologist Thomas L. Whittaker Becomes President of Association of Community Cancer Centers
ROCKVILLE, MD – March 30, 2011 - Thomas L. Whittaker, MD, FACP, became President of the Association of Community Cancer Centers at its 37th Annual National Meeting on March 26, 2011. He is a medical oncologist and physician partner at Central Indiana Cancer Centers in Indianapolis, Ind., where he has had a community-based private practice for fourteen years. The practice includes five treatment centers throughout central Indiana, including within the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as President of the Association of Community Cancer Centers,” said Dr. Whittaker. “During my year as ACCC President, I hope to expand ACCC’s education and advocacy efforts. In addition, as the concept of medical home gains traction with the passage of the health reform law, I’d like ACCC to help members gain a better understanding of the oncology patient medical home—its efficacy, clinical benefits, and potential.”
Dr. Whittaker is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Indiana State Medical Association, and the Indiana Medical Oncology Society on which he served on the executive board for several years. He also served as a clinical assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine for five years, and was named outstanding medical oncologist by Indianapolis Monthly in 1998.
Dr. Whittaker serves on ACCC’s Membership Committees as well as the Patient Advocacy Subcommittee of the Governmental Affairs Committee. He is chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and is also the ACCC Delegate Representative of his member institution. Other ACCC affiliated efforts have been with the Indiana Medical Oncology Society where he has served on the Board of Directors and was a past president.
He attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where he received his medical degree. His postgraduate training included an internal medicine residency, as well as a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at Indiana University Medical Center. He is board certified in both medical oncology and hematology. Additional studies led to a master’s degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Since 1974, the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has served as the leading national multidisciplinary organization that sets the standard for quality care for patients with cancer. ACCC is dedicated to promoting professional learning opportunities and to providing a forum for members to network and enhance their skills in the business, clinical and management aspects of care for the cancer community. More than 17,000 cancer care professionals from approximately 900 hospitals and more than 1,200 private practices are affiliated with ACCC. Our unique membership includes all members of the cancer care team: medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, cancer program administrators and medical directors, pharmacists, oncology nurses, oncology social workers, and cancer program data managers. For more information, visit ACCC's website at www.accc-cancer.org. Follow us on Facebook and on ACCCBuzz, ACCC's online blog, www.acccbuzz.wordpress.com.
