(PHILADELPHIA) – Douglas L. Fraker, MD, has been named to the newly-created position of Deputy Director, Clinical Services & Programs, at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. In his new role, Dr. Fraker serves as the senior advisor to the Center’s Director and Health System’s senior leadership on issues concerning clinical services and associated programmatic initiatives.
“In his new position, Dr. Fraker will bring his years of clinical and administrative experience to lead the ongoing development of the Cancer Center’s integrated program initiatives of excellence for respective organ sites,” commented Craig B. Thompson, MD, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center. “He’s just the right person to further enhance our mission of delivering a wide array of cancer services in an integrated program based approach.” In addition, Dr. Fraker will provide leadership on strengthening integrated clinical program initiatives as they relate to the development of robust clinical research and quality initiatives, to include tumor registry and quality assurance initiatives on cancer.
Dr. Fraker received his medical degree at Harvard Medical School and came to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1995 as the Jonathan E. Rhoads Associate Professor of Surgery. Prior to joining the Department of Surgery and The Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Fraker was a Senior Investigator and Head of Endocrine Surgery at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. He is currently Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs and Chief, Division of Endocrine & Oncologic Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Fraker’s research efforts have focused on regional perfusion to treat melanoma and soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and metastatic tumors of the liver. His clinical practice in surgery includes melanoma, sarcoma, liver tumors, and endocrine surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas.
He will assume his new role effective December 1, 2007.
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The Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) of the University of Pennsylvania is a national leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. The pre-eminent position of the Cancer Center is reflected in its continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute for 30 years, one of 39 such Centers in the United States. The ACC is dedicated to innovative and compassionate cancer care. The clinical program, comprised of a dedicated staff of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, nutritionists and patient support specialists, currently sees over 50,000 outpatient visits, 3400 inpatient admissions, and provides over 25,000 chemotherapy treatments, and more than 65,000 radiation treatments annually. Not only is the ACC dedicated to providing state-of-the-art cancer care, the latest forms of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are available to our patients through clinical themes that developed in the relentless pursuit to eliminate the pain and suffering from cancer. In addition, the ACC is home to the 300 research scientists who work relentlessly to determine the pathogenesis of cancer. Together, the faculty is committed to improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
PENN Medicine is a $3.5 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Penn's School of Medicine is currently ranked #3 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's survey of top research-oriented medical schools; and, according to most recent data from the National Institutes of Health, received over $379 million in NIH research funds in the 2006 fiscal year. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals — its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, rated one of the nation’s “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multi-specialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $550 million awarded in the 2022 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts” in medicine, Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries and innovations that have shaped modern medicine, including recent breakthroughs such as CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities stretch from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. These include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is an $11.1 billion enterprise powered by more than 49,000 talented faculty and staff.