Hematology / Oncology

Hematology/oncology care is provided by Department of Medicine providers at the following locations:

• Upstate Cancer Center
• Upstate Cancer Center at Community
• Upstate University Hospital
• Upstate Cancer Center at Oswego
• Upstate Cancer Center at Verona
  • 5585 E Main St., Verona, NY 13478
  • Phone: (315) 473-3300
  • Fax: (315) 473-3847
• Upstate Cancer Center at Auburn
  • 17 Lansing St., Auburn, NY 13021
  • Phone: (315) 253-1818
  • Fax: (315) 253-1792

Division of Hematology/Oncology

Department of Medicine at SUNY: Upstate Medical University
Phone: (315) 464-8200
Fax: (315) 464-8206

Address:

Upstate Cancer Center
Upstate University Hospital
750 E. Adams St.
Syracuse, NY 13210

Billing representatives are available to assist patients with proper submission of their bill to their insurance carrier.

As a patient, you are expected to:

• Show your insurance identification card at each visit.
• Make necessary co-payments at each visit.
• Pay on remaining balances on a regular basis in an amount that would completely pay off the account in less than 12 months. Deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums account for the balances on patient accounts, and these are yearly expenses.
• Make sure that all necessary referrals are established prior to receiving care and bring documentation of referral to your appointments.
• We will assist in obtaining pre-authorizations for certain treatments from your insurance. However, you are expected to assist us in contacting your insurance plan whenever there is an issue that needs your involvement.
• See our billing representative immediately if you have a group insurance plan and become eligible for Medicare. Most insurances require that you to purchase Medicare Part B when it is first offered to you.
• Call us immediately so that we can help you evaluate other options if you lose your insurance for any reason. This is extremely important because you have a 60-day window to obtain other insurance without your new insurance plan applying a pre-existing condition clause to your new policy.

Payment plans are available to patients without insurance who need medical care. We have a list of co-pay and drug-assistance plans that you may qualify for even if you have insurance.

Prescription renewals for established patients may be requested by calling your doctor’s office during regular office hours.

Before the prescription request can be reviewed, you will be required to clearly state:

• Your first and last name, date of birth, and daytime phone number
• Prescribing physician’s name
• Name of the medication and whether you are currently out of the medication
• Strength
• Dose
• Mailing address if the prescription is for a narcotic. Do you plan to pick up the prescription? If not, allow 24 hours for refill.
• Pharmacy name
• Pharmacy phone number

Patients may be required to schedule a follow-up appointment in order to continue receiving good medical care between prescription renewals.

PATIENT CARE STAFF

Sam Benjamin, MD – Interim Division Chief

Upstate Cancer Center

Sam Benjamin, MD - Medical Director

Jacquelyn Connolly, BSN, RN, OCN - Co-Nurse Manager

Catherine Byrnes, BSN, RN, OCN - Co-Nurse Manager

Lisa Knickerbocker – Interim Office Manager

Upstate Cancer Center at Community

TBD – Medical Director

Stephanie Eastman, RN – Nurse Manager

Upstate Cancer Center at Verona

Merima Ramovic, DO – Medical Director

Krista Gerling, RN – Nurse Manager

Upstate Cancer Center at Auburn

Komal Akhtar, MD – Medical Director

Christina Sherman, RN – Nurse Manager

Upstate Cancer Center at Oswego

Rahul Seth, DO – Medical Director

Steven Thomas, RN – Nurse Manager

Bone and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy

Staff:

Teresa Gentile, MD/PhD

Krishna Ghimire, MD – Interim Director

Elaine Green, RN, BSN, BCCM – RN Coordinator

TBD – Clinical Quality Improvement Coordinator

Thoracic Oncology Program

Staff:

Stephen Graziano, MD

Alina Basnet, MD

Bhaskara Reddy Madhira, MBBS

Breast Cancer Program

Staff:

Sam Benjamin, MD

Merima Ramovic, DO

Head & Neck Cancer Program

Staff:

Komal Akhtar, MD

Bhaskara Reddy Madhira, MBBS

Thyroid Cancer Program

The Thyroid Cancer Program at the Joslin Diabetes Center offers comprehensive care to patients with all types of thyroid cancer. Our team includes endocrinologists, thyroid surgeons, nuclear medicine physicians, oncologists, and pathologists. There are outpatient sessions in which an endocrinologist and thyroid surgeon see patients together to determine the best treatment option for each patient. Nuclear medicine physicians and pathologists are available for immediate consultation. We hold a monthly interdisciplinary conference to discuss the management of patients with thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases.

Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplant Program

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure in which diseased or damaged bone marrow cells are replaced with healthy ones using stem cells taken from bone marrow. Bone marrow/stem cell transplants allow doctors to aggressively treat cancer while striving to keep patients as healthy as possible. Our hematology/oncology specialists have performed more than 800 bone marrow transplants since the bone marrow/stem cell transplant program began in 1992. The transplant unit is located on the 10th floor of the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. We provide transplants for:

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Multiple myeloma
• Leukemia
• Selected solid tumors, e.g., testicular cancer

The bone marrow/stem cell transplant program is a multidisciplinary program in which we work closely with the clinical apheresis service, cryopreservation laboratory, social services, nursing, dietary, and radiation oncology for the management of transplant patients. The transplant program coordinates the management of patients both pre- and post-transplant as well as during the transplant admission. Our transplant team actively collaborates and participates with the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBTR), Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN), National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), and pharmaceutical research studies. Our autologous program is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT)

Inpatient Palliative Care Consult Service

Our Inpatient Palliative Care Consult service, led by our expert team of physicians, advanced practice nurses, social workers, and spiritual caregivers, provides our patients with comprehensive end-of-life care coordinated with their hospital care team. Our range of compassionate services include:

• Providing detailed education about your illness, what you can expect, and what treatment options you have.
• Assisting you in managing your difficult symptoms.
• Communicating with your physicians and other health professionals, so they know how to best serve you.

To learn more about our Inpatient Palliative Care Consult service, click here.

Adult Outpatient Palliative Care Consult Service at the Cancer Center

Our patient care team—consisting of physicians, advanced practice nurses, social workers, and spiritual caregivers —provides our Cancer Center patients with the following comprehensive end-of-life services:

• Thorough assessment of patient understanding and family understanding of the patient's diagnosis and prognosis.
• Advanced care planning.
• Assistance managing symptoms.
• Care coordination across healthcare teams.

To learn more about our Adult Outpatient Palliative Care Consult service, click here.