John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), is expanding its program to HOPE Tower at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. This expansion will provide on-site resources to cancer patients at Jersey Shore as well as access to medical innovations and clinical trials at JTCC in Hackensack.
New Oncology Services at Jersey Shore University Medical Center
The JTCC expansion will connect patients with the most treatments for advanced cancer care that were previously not available in south and central New Jersey. New specialized services include:
- Leukemia care (First program to launch, November 2021, with one session per week then in December, full time). Patients with acute and chronic leukemia now have access to clinical care, medications, clinical trials, and bone marrow transplantation services at Jersey Shore.
- Bone marrow transplantation and cell therapy (Start November 2021 with one session per week for consultation then first outpatient transplant January 2022). Until January, transplants will take place at Hackensack University Medical Center. Patients have access to inpatient stem cell and bone marrow transplantation and related outpatient care, as well as the latest cell therapy treatments including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy.
- Phase I clinical trials (Program launch tentatively December 2021 with coverage by three physician for consults at JSUMC, then treatment onsite starting 2022). Through its Phase I clinical trials program - the largest in New Jersey - JTCC partners with small biotech and large pharmaceutical companies to offer highly selective, early-phase, first-in-human clinical trials. HOPE Tower patients will now have access to JTCC’s Phase I clinical trials in experimental drug discovery and therapeutics, including targeted therapies, immuno-oncology, and CAR-T trials.
Meet The Physicians
Leukemia
Kelly Fitzpatrick, M.D.
Dr. Fitzpatrick, who will lead the JTCC expansion and practice exclusively at JSUMC’s HOPE Tower, is board certified in internal medicine and hematology/oncology. She has contributed numerous publications to medical literature and has served as an investigator on recent clinical trials for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, sickle cell disease, and cancer-related venous thrombosis. Dr. Fitzpatrick earned her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine, and completed her internal medicine residency and hematology/oncology fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital. She has served as Georgetown University’s Cancer IRB chair.
Jamie Koprivnikar, M.D.
Dr. Koprivnikar is board certified in hematology/oncology and internal medicine. She earned her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia and completed a residency and hematology/oncology fellowship at MedStar Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Her research interests include leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasms, aplastic anemia, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.
James K. McCloskey II, M.D.
Dr. McCloskey is chief, Division of Leukemia and director, Program for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms at John Theurer Cancer Center. Board certified in hematology/oncology and internal medicine, Dr. McCloskey specializes in caring for patients with acute leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myeloproliferative diseases. Dr. McCloskey has extensive research experience, serving as primary investigator on multiple clinical trials, authoring and co-authoring numerous publications, and presenting clinical work at major medical conferences.
Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy
Michele L. Donato, M.D., FACP, CPE
Dr. Donato is chief of the Adult Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program at John Theurer Cancer Center — one of the region’s largest bone marrow and stem cell transplant programs and one of the world’s largest photopheresis centers. Board certified in medical oncology, Dr. Donato has more than 20 years of clinical and research experience. Her current research focuses on the use of stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy in patients with multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, and patients with marrow or immune disorders.
Sukhdeep Kaur, M.D.
Dr. Kaur specializes in stem cell transplantation for blood cancers and disorders and CAR-T cell therapy, which trains a patient’s white blood cells to find and destroy cancer cells. Board certified in internal medicine, Dr. Kaur earned her medical degree from Ross University and completed her internal medicine residency at Drexel University College of Medicine. She then completed a fellowship in hematology-oncology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Phase I Clinical Research
Martin Gutierrez, M.D.
Dr. Gutierrez is co-chief of the Thoracic Oncology Division, member of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Division and director of the Drug Discovery and Phase I Unit at John Theurer Cancer Center. Dr. Gutierrez is board certified in medical oncology. He has nearly two decades of drug discovery experience and works closely with the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health to expand John Theurer Cancer Center’s Phase I clinical research portfolio.
Kaushal Parikh, MBBS
Dr. Parikh specializes in treating thoracic cancers, such as lung cancer, thymoma and mesothelioma. Board certified in internal medicine and hematology/oncology, Dr. Parikh is involved in drug development and early-phase clinical trials. He earned his medical degree from Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, India. He completed his internal medicine residency and hematology/oncology fellowship at New York Medical College and a thoracic oncology fellowship at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine.
Tracy Proverbs-Singh, M.D., MPH
Dr. Proverbs-Singh is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. She specializes in treating patients with gastrointestinal cancers and has extensive experience in clinical research, with a focus on understanding the side effects of cancer treatment and investigating novel, less-toxic therapies for solid tumors. Dr. Proverbs-Singh has presented her work at numerous professional meetings and has contributed to published manuscripts in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Contact
Learn more about John Theurer Cancer Center, by visiting HackensackUMC.org/Services/Cancer-Care. To schedule an appointment in the HOPE Tower, call 833-Cancer-MD (833-226-2376).
About John Theurer Cancer Center - One Program, Two Locations
Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center is made up of 14 specialized divisions covering the complete spectrum of cancer care and is dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, management, research, screenings, and preventive care as well as survivorship of patients with all types of cancers. John Theurer Cancer Center is a member of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Consortium, one of just 16 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-approved cancer research consortia based at the nation’s most prestigious institutions.