City of Hope Names Alexandra M. Levine, M.D., Chief Medical Officer

    DUARTE, Calif., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandra M. Levine, M.D., has
 been named chief medical officer (CMO) of City of Hope. An internationally
 known expert in lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and AIDS-related malignancies,
 Levine will be the organization's chief clinician and will oversee all
 clinical and hospital care programs at City of Hope. Levine was most
 recently Distinguished Professor of Medicine, chair of the Division of
 Hematology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern
 California (USC), and medical director of USC/Norris Cancer Hospital.
     As City of Hope's CMO, Levine will develop and implement the
 institution's clinical strategy and program development. She will serve as
 the primary liaison with the City of Hope Medical Group and its physician
 members to promote collaboration across disciplines and ensure effective
 staff recruitment and retention. Levine will co-lead programs aimed at
 continually improving the standard of care at City of Hope, including
 quality of service, patient safety, clinical research, clinical information
 management and professional education. As chief clinician she will serve as
 a role model and facilitator for all clinical staff.
     "We are thrilled to have Alexandra Levine join City of Hope. She brings
 both her vast scientific expertise in hematology and HIV, and also her
 limitless compassion for patients facing cancer," said Michael A. Friedman,
 M.D., president and chief executive officer, City of Hope. "Dr. Levine is a
 noted advocate of bringing more humanism into medicine and can address
 quality patient care from all angles, managing the needs of patients while
 also providing guidance for the physicians who treat them."
     Levine is a distinguished professor at Keck School of Medicine, and
 holds the Ronald H. Bloom Family Chair in Lymphoma. Her research interests
 include lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and treating and preventing HIV/AIDS
 among women. She worked for eight years with Jonas Salk, M.D., on the
 development and testing of an AIDS vaccine. Levine has served as principal
 investigator or co- investigator on more than 20 major research grants,
 most funded by the National Institutes of Health.
     Levine's scientific and clinical contributions have received national
 and international recognition. In 1995, President Clinton appointed her to
 the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. She also chaired the
 council's research committee. Levine has served as a member of the board of
 councilors of the National Cancer Institute and is currently a member of
 the Oncologic Drug Advisory Board of the Food and Drug Administration. In
 addition, she served as HIV/AIDS consultant to the health departments of
 Chile, Russia, India and China.
     "I am delighted and honored to be given the opportunity to work with
 the City of Hope family. This institution has always distinguished itself
 by its commitment to quality in terms of patient care and research, and by
 the kindness and caring that has always been integral to its mission," said
 Levine. "City of Hope is now poised to move to the next levels of expertise
 and national leadership, and I am most thankful to be given the chance to
 participate in this very exciting future."
     Levine is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American
 Society of Clinical Oncology, the American College of Physicians and the
 International AIDS Society. She has published more than 300 articles and
 book chapters in noted medical journals such as the New England Journal of
 Medicine, Blood and the Journal of AIDS. In 1997, she received the Lymphoma
 Research Foundation of America's Evelyn Hoffman Memorial Award in
 recognition for her achievements in lymphoma research and patient care.
     Levine received her medical degree from USC in 1971 and completed
 fellowships at Emory University and Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.
     About City of Hope
     City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer,
 diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a Comprehensive
 Cancer Center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute,
 and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of
 Hope's research and treatment protocols impact care throughout the nation.
 Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow
 transplantation and genetics and shares its scientific knowledge with
 medical centers locally and globally, helping patients battling serious
 diseases. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org.
 
 

SOURCE City of Hope