John S. Kennedy, M.D., Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar
John S. Kennedy M.D. Named Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar
Atlanta, Ga. - Dr. John S. Kennedy, a surgeon in private practice with DeKalb Surgical Associates and chief of staff with DeKalb Medical, has been named a Distinguished Cancer Scholar by the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC) and will receive $100,000 a year for five years to support his clinical research efforts.
Dr. Kennedy serves on the executive committee of the Commission on Cancer, a multidisciplinary program of the American College of Surgeons, and chairs the Clinical Integration committee for that organization. In addition, he holds patents in surgical instruments used for the treatment of breast cancer. His clinical interests include minimally invasive surgical treatment of breast cancer as well as an analysis of cancer genes to more precisely predict the most effective chemotherapy agents. (Historically, chemotherapy recommendations have typically been based on categorizing patients by tumor size and evidence of cancer spread to other parts of the body, without use of a more individualized analysis.)
He has served as chief of staff at DeKalb Medical, the Georgia state chairman for the Commission on Cancer’s Liaison Physician program, and past president of the DeKalb Medical Society, as well as with the Georgia Surgical Society. Dr. Kennedy earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Temple University’s School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed his surgical residency and chief residency at Emory University Hospital. He is board-certified in Surgery. He has maintained his surgical practice at DeKalb Medical for 23 years.
“Dr. Kennedy is a leader in cancer control. He has also been a great supporter of the Georgia Cancer Coalition’s key initiatives:
• the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia
CORE), where he currently serves as secretary;
• the Biorepository Alliance of Georgia, for which he has promoted the
accrual of patients with solid tumors to the tissue bank; and
• the Regional Cancer Coalitions of Georgia,”
says Bill Todd, GCC President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to name him a Distinguished Cancer Scholar.”
“I am both humbled and honored by this grant. It is a tribute to the strength of the cancer program at DeKalb Medical, where we emphasize the individualized multidisciplinary care of each patient. My hope is to use the funds to expand the clinical trial opportunities for our patients, particularly through GA CORE, explore new ways to decrease disparities in cancer care, develop better strategies for quality improvement and to develop less invasive methods for treating patients with breast cancer,” states Dr. Kennedy.
Begun in 2001, the Georgia Cancer Coalition’s Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists program is an investment in Georgia’s future as a national leader in cancer control. The Scholars’ history of grants, publications and patents as well as their potential for attracting future funding is considered. In fiscal year 2008, Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholars were responsible for securing $47 million in privately and federally funded research grants to the state of Georgia; over the program’s 8-year history, scholars have generated more than $200 million in funding.
About DeKalb Medical
DeKalb Medical continues to be a leader in cancer research and treatment, one of less than 20% of hospitals in the United States that have approved cancer programs to achieve an additional three-year approval as a community hospital comprehensive cancer program from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. In addition, DeKalb Medical has earned the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer as a comprehensive community cancer for the past six years
Also a leader in heart attack treatment and orthopedics, DeKalb Medical is a non-profit hospital system serving half a million patients annually. Founded in Atlanta in 1961, the system includes the 451-bed DeKalb Medical at North Decatur. It was also named in the top 5% of all U.S. hospitals in 2009 and 2010 for clinical excellence by HealthGrades®
About The Georgia Cancer Coalition
The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an independent, not-for-profit organization that unites government agencies, academic institutions, civic groups, corporations and health care organizations in a concerted effort to strengthen cancer prevention, research and treatment in Georgia, with the ultimate goal of making Georgia one of the nation’s premier states for cancer care. The mission is to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths in Georgia. The Coalition is the first of its kind in the nation and is fast becoming a national model. For further information, the official website is www.georgiacancer.org.
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