Staff & Board
CancerCare is proud to have a staff of nearly 60 professional oncology social workers who, with their expertise in cancer and psychosocial issues, directly help more than 100,000 people each year. CancerCare’s Board of Trustees and Medical Advisory Board contribute knowledge, resources, and talents to the organization. CancerCare is grateful to its committee members and President’s Council for their ongoing commitment and support.
Executive Director Diane Blum
Diane Blum, MSW, Executive DirectorDiane S. Blum is Executive Director of CancerCare, Inc., a national non-profit organization that provides free professional support services including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help to people with cancer and their loved ones. Ms. Blum joined CancerCare in 1984 as Director of Social Service, and became Executive Director in 1990. Previously, Ms. Blum served as a social work supervisor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Ms. Blum's areas of expertise include the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and their families; costs of cancer treatments and care; women and breast cancer; cancer survivorship; and non-profit management.
Co founder of the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, Ms. Blum is also a founder of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and serves as Editor-in-Chief of cancer.net, the ASCO website for patients and the public, and is also a member of the editorial boards of five other oncology-related publications.
Additionally, she has served on committees of the Institute of Medicine, ASCO, and the National Association of Social Work, among others. Most recently, Ms. Blum was one of 15 members of an expert panel that recommended psychosocial services be included as standard care for all cancer patients. She currently serves on ASCO's Cost of Care Task Force, examining the financial impact of cancer treatments on patients and their families.
Ms. Blum’s awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Board of Sponsors of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Special Recognition Award from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the Republic Bank Breast Cancer Research Foundation Award, and the Special Recognition Award of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Ms. Blum has written and lectured extensively about the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and their families. Her research has been published in a variety of medical journals including the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, Journal of Oncology, the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, the Annals of Internal Medicine, and Oncology Nursing News, among others.
Ms. Blum received a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester and a master's degree from the School of Social Welfare at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
CancerCare Social Service Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Rosalie Canosa, LCSW-R, MPA | Program Division Director |
| Anne Archer, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Winfield Boerckel, LCSW-R, MBA | LiveStrong National Relations Program Coordinator, Lung Cancer Program Coordinator, Social Service Director, Long Island |
| Dominick Bonanno, LCSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Sandra Caparco, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Allison Carney, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Kristy Case, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Maria Chi, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Erin Columbus, LMSW | Clinical Coordinator of Online Client Services |
| Courtney Conway, MSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Angelique Cruz, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Richard Dickens, LCSW-R | Program Coordinator of Blood Cancers |
| Nicole Di Martino, MSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Melissa H. Dressel-Paschke, LCSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Caroline Edlund, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Alisha Ellis, LMSW | Clinical Coordinator of Women's Cancers |
| Elizabeth Ezra, LMSW | Pancreatic Cancer Program Coordinator |
| Diana Forand-Pike, LCSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Lois Glasser, LCSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| William Goeren, LCSW-R | Director of Quality Assurance |
| Richard Hara, PhD, LCSW | Director of Online Services |
| Meredith Hemphill, MSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Gina Hernandez, MA | Counselor |
| Wade Iwata, LMSW | Men's Cancer Project Coordinator |
| Sarah Kelly, MSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Stacey Kramer, LMSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Jennifer LaPietra, LMSW | Bilingual Oncology Social Worker |
| Julie Larson, LCSW | Program Director for Young Adult Services |
| Jane Levy, LCSW | Director of Patient Assistance Programs |
| Cristina Lima, LCSW | Program Director for Hispanic Outreach, CT |
| Julia Little, LMSW | Project Coordinator, CancerCare for Kids |
| Leora S. Lowenthal, LCSW, OSW-C | Online Group Moderator |
| Keith Lyons, LCSW-R | Gastrointestinal Cancers Program Coordinator |
| Brooke Laster, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Glenn Meuche, LMSW | Senior Clinical Coordinator for Bereavement Services |
| Nora Molloy, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Laura Mosiello, LCSW-R | Director of Women's Cancers |
| Kathleen Nugent, LCSW | Director of Social Service, New Jersey |
| Rachel Odo, LCSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Sonia Pacheco, LMSW | Program Coordinator for Hispanic Outreach, NJ |
| Vilmarie Rodriguez, LMSW | Program Director of Hispanic Outreach and Education |
| Essie Roman, MSW | Bilingual Oncology Social Worker |
| Christine Rubin, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Rochelle Sax, LCSW | Director of Special Outreach |
| Bridget Sheehy, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Kristin Sorlie, MSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Patricia Spicer, LMSW | Breast Cancer Program Coordinator |
| Jacqueline Socastro, LCSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Stephanie Stern, LMSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Sandra Tripodi, LCSW | Director of Social Service, Connecticut |
| Marilyn Wald, LMSW | Special Projects Coordinator |
| Sara Wicks, LMSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Rebecca Wong, LMSW | Online Group Moderator |
CancerCare Principal Education Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Carolyn Messner, DSW, LCSW-R | Director of Education and Training |
Assistant Director of Education and Training |
CancerCare Principal External Affairs Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Jeanie M. Barnett | Director of Communications |
| Lisa Cannella | Regional Director, CancerCare of Connecticut |
| Monica Cavazos | Manager of Professional Communications |
| Stephanie Karlo | Regional Director, CancerCare of New Jersey |
| Katerina Kormas | Senior Manager of Special Events |
| Sue Lee | Director of Development for Institutional Giving |
| Christopher Lorraine | Grants Manager |
| Marisa Rospos | Donor Services Manager |
| Rebecca Womble | Director of Development for Special Events and Individual Giving |
| Christina M. Wyman | Senior Manager of Corporate Relations |
| Jacqueline Zahora, LCSW-R | Director of Web Services |
| Yelena Zatulovsky, LCAT, MA | Manager of Individual Giving |
CancerCare Principal Finance and Administration Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| John Rutigliano, CPA | Chief Operating Officer |
| Forrest Buckman | Director of Databases |
| Thomas Ciccotelli | Controller |
| Ann Navarria, PHR | Director of Human Resources |
| Hector Perez | Director of Information Technology |
| Francis Scretchings | Manager of Facilities |
CancerCare Board of Trustees
| Name | Affiliations |
|---|---|
| Paul M. Friedman President |
Managing Director, Mariner Investment Group, LLC |
| Susan Smirnoff Executive Vice-President |
Executive VP, Ruder Finn, Inc |
| Margaret R. Diaz-Cruz, ACSW Vice-President |
Director, Stipendiary Program, Isaac H. Tuttle Fund |
| Edward C. Lauber Vice-President |
Chairman, Lauber Imports |
| Maggy M. Siegel Vice-President |
President & COO, Dylan's Candy Bar |
| Timothy M. Dwyer Treasurer |
President & CEO, Entitle Direct Group, Inc. |
| David S. Erickson Assistant Treasurer |
Head of Global Equity Capital Markets, Barclays Capital |
| Audrey Boughton Secretary |
|
| Michael D. Widlitz, MD Assistant Secretary |
|
| Janet Dewart Bell | |
| Jan Myers Cook | Law Office of Jan Myers Cook |
| Suzanne Doft | |
| H. Frank Doroff | Executive VP/GMM, Bloomingdale’s |
| Deborah Dunsire, MD | President & CEO, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
| Louis A. Guzzetti, Jr* | Chairman and CEO, Spinnaker Coating, LLC |
| C. Hugh Hildesley | Executive VP of Client Development, Sotheby’s |
| Kris Johnson | Mary Kay, Inc. |
| David J. Keisman | Senior Vice President of the Corporate Finance Group, Moody’s Investors Service |
| Theresa Natalicchio | |
| Albert G. Nickel | |
| John A. Orwin | Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Genentech |
| Marsha J. Palanci | President, Cornerstone Communications, LTD. |
| Michael Parisi | President, Altum |
| William C. Pelster* | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP |
| Bert M. Petersen, Jr, MD | |
| Andrew Pizzo | Owner & President, Collection XIIX, Ltd. |
| Matthew E. Ros | VP, Oncology Marketing, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
| Dorothy Schachne | |
| Michael W. Schechter | Mentor Partners |
| Miranda Schiller | Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges |
| David L. Stone | President, Stone Capital Advisors LLC |
| Milton G. Strom | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP |
| James B. Swire* | Arnold & Porter LLP |
| Samuel D. Turner* | Turner & Goss, LLP |
| Linda T. Vahdat, MD | Weill Cornell University Medical Center |
| Pamela Suthern Wygod | WebMD Foundation |
| * Past President | |
Medical Advisory Board
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Karen Antman, MD | Boston University School of Medicine |
| Joseph S. Bailes, MD | American Society of Clinical Oncology |
| Robert Comis, MD | Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups |
| Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD | National Institutes of Health |
| Kathleen M. Foley, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
| Jimmie Holland, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
| Mark G. Kris, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
| Robert J. Mayer, MD | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
| Larry Norton, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |