Women’s Heathcast: Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning, featuring Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH

Palliative care – medical care to help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for people with serious illnesses – is often a key component of cancer care and treatment.  

Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology, joined the Women’s Healthcast during Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month to talk about palliative care, palliative care’s place in gynecologic cancer treatment, and how people can approach conversations around advance care planning in their own lives. 

Listen to Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning now. 

Did you know the Women’s Healthcast is available on all your favorite podcast platforms? Whether you like to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, or anywhere else, you can find us! (Just search Women’s Healthcast, and while you’re at it, may as well subscribe!)   

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Zhang reflects on training time, shares what’s next after Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship

After three years of intense fellowship training in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Ran (Catherine) Zhang, MD, MPH, is preparing to graduate. Zhang shares what’s next after fellowship, the important lessons she will carry forward, and messages of gratitude for people who shaped her time in fellowship.

What are you looking forward to about your next career step when you join the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology faculty?

I'm excited to continue to hone my teaching and mentoring skills- we have an excellent residency and fellowship program that I want to play an active role in improving. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration I have also been able to formulate a pilot study looking at circulating tumor DNA in HPV-driven cancers. This is a project I'm very much looking forward to continuing to work on as UW Gyn Onc faculty. 

What are your proudest accomplishments during fellowship? 

Publishing a video and manuscript (with co-fellow Dr. Wagar) on an innovative surgical technique which has garnered a lot of attention nationally and was selected as SGO 2022 top 50 abstracts. I have also really enjoyed my role in guiding residents and medical students in their growth as surgeons and clinicians. Being selected as the recipient of the annual Humanism in Medicine award by the palliative care fellows was also truly an honor. I have so much respect and admiration for our UW palliative care colleagues.

How do you feel UW Ob-Gyn prepared you for success after fellowship? 

UW fellowship provided excellent training in all surgical modalities (laparoscopic, robotic, single port, open), management of complex medical and social situations and end of life care, as well as chemotherapy/targeted therapeutics/immunotherapy administration. I feel as prepared as I can be for this transition to faculty.

Any special shout-outs or thanks to faculty, staff, other trainees who really shaped your training time here? 

I am unable to sufficiently thank everyone who has shaped me during my fellowship. Drs. Barroilhet, Patankar, and Hartenbach were and continue to be incredible research mentors. Dr. Spencer big thanks for always being available to us fellows and striving to make our fellowship program the best it can be. Dr. Rice even in retirement made time to advocate for me during my job search and continues to serve as a mentor and for that I am so grateful. I have learned so much from all the faculty and staff in the gyn onc division and feel so fortunate to be able to continue to work with them! 

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Grand Rounds: Department Research Day 2023

On May 4, 2023, the UW Department of Ob-Gyn hosted Department Research Day. You can watch all the research presentations given that day here. 

Keynote by Genevieve Neal-Perry, MD, PhD – 0:00:00-1:01:45

Menopause Management: Where are we now? 

Graduating Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow Brad Bosse, MD – 1:01:46-1:20:45

Preeclampsia: It’s in the water?

Graduating Gynecologic Oncology fellow Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH – 1:20:46-1:38:20

The liquid biopsy: promising role of circulating tumor DNA in cervical cancer

Soma Banerjee, MD – 1:38:21-1:56:16

High-Dimensional Flow Cytometry Analysis of Immune Cell Subsets in Circulation and Follicular Microenvironment in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Kate Westaby, MS – 1:56:18-2:16:33

Using Participatory Action Research to Challenge the History of Young Parenthood

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UW Ob-Gyn presentations at 2023 Society of Gynecologic Oncology conference

UW Ob-Gyn faculty, advanced practice providers, fellows, and residents prepared an impressive slate of presentations and posters, and served in key leadership roles, for the 2023 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer! Here are just some of their exciting contributions to the conference, which took place March 25-28, 2023 in Tampa, FL:

Associate Proefssor Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS:

Vice Chair of the Patient Education Committee

Professor Ellen Hartenbach, MD:

Poster: “The genomic profile of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the association with platinum-resistance”

Poster: “Thromboembolic Events in Gynecologic Cancer Patients Treated with Chemotherapy”

Ob-Gyn Resident Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD:

Poster: “Radical hysterectomy case volume and cervical cancer treatment in the era of COVID-19: A multi-institutional analysis” 

Gynecologic Oncology Fellow Lauren Montemorano, MD:

Poster: “Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Recruitment in the Virtual Era: An Evaluation of Program Websites and Survey of Applicant Preferences” (Lauren Montemorano MD, Connor C Wang MD, Ankitha Madde MD, J Stuart Ferriss MD, Bunja J Rungruang MD, Ryan Spencer MD, MS)

Poster: “The genomic profile of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the association with platinum-resistance” (Lauren Montemorano MD, Jessica D Lang PhD, Zoey Shultz BA, Alma Farooque BA, Meredith Hyun MS, Richard Chappell PhD, Ellen Hartenbach MD)

Poster: “A comparison of early-occurring and late-occurring incisional hernias after trans-umbilical versus circumbilical midline laparotomy in gynecologic oncology patients” (Connor C Wang, Alexandra Andes, Aaditi Naik, Lauren Montemorano, Ahmed Al-Niaimi)

Joanne Rash, PA:

Special Interest Session for Allied Health Professionals: Provider Wellbeing: Hope to be Found

Rash finished her board terms as the first elected APP representative on the SGO board!

Professor Stephen Rose, MD:

Poster: “Radical hysterectomy case volume and cervical cancer treatment in the era of COVID-19: A multi-institutional analysis”

Associate Professor Ryan Spencer, MD, MS:

Spencer was selected to serve as the SGO representative on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ political action committee (Ob-GynPAC).

Spencer received the Congressional Ambassador Award, given annually to SGO members who have worked hard to educate our elected and appointed officials in Washington, DC, to promote health care policy changes and annual federal funding increases to positively impact the field of gynecologic oncology and the women who are impacted with gynecologic cancer malignancies.

Chair, SGO Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee

Co-Lead, Gynecologic Oncology Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE) Task Force

Poster: “Gynecologic oncology fellowship recruitment in the virtual era: an evaluation of program websites and survey of applicant preferences.” (Senior author on this multi-institutional project with Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Medical College of Georgia.)

Presentations during SGO Program Directors Network meeting:

Gynecologic Oncology SLOEs

Updates from the ABOG Reproductive Health Summit

Associate Professor Sumer Wallace, MD, MS:

Serves on Policy, Quality, & Outcomes task force for the Health Policy and Socioeconomic committee

Ob-Gyn Resident Connor Wang, MD:

Poster: “A Comparison of Early-Occuring and Late-Occuring Incisional Hernias After Trans-Umbilical Versus Circumbilical Midline Laparotomy in Gynecologic Oncology Patients”

Gynecologic Oncology Fellow Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH:

Featured Oral Poster Session: “A Quality Improvement Project to Implement Oral Anticoagulant Thromboprophylaxis in Ambulatory Gynecologic Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy”

Congratulations to all on this incredible showing!

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Obstetrics and Gynecology features video demonstration of fluorescein mapping for Paget’s Disease

In February, UW Ob-Gyn gynecologic oncology fellows Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH and Matt Wagar, MD, published a new Procedures and Instruments piece, “Fluorescein Mapping in Vulvar Paget Disease”, in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Co-authors on the article include Ryan Spencer, MD, MS, associate professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and David Kushner, MD, professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology.

In the article, Zhang, Wagar, and co-authors describe a two-step procedure to identify areas of disease when treating Paget disease, and describe their results using this method to treat eight patients. Obstetrics and Gynecology recently shared a case demonstration video of the technique on their YouTube channel.

You can watch the technique video here!

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Zhang, Wagar publish in Obstetrics and Gynecology

UW Ob-Gyn gynecologic oncology fellows Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH and Matt Wagar, MD, published a new Procedures and Instruments piece in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Co-authors on the article include Ryan Spencer, MD, MS, associate professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and David Kushner, MD, professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology.

In “Fluorescein Mapping in Vulvar Paget Disease”, Zhang, Wagar, and co-authors describe a two-step procedure to identify areas of disease when treating Paget disease, and describe their results using this method to treat eight patients. Their conclusions are optimistic: 

“We report a technique for the injection of fluorescein sodium for the visualization of vulvar Paget disease capable of providing accurate surgical margins and identification of occult satellite lesions with a high degree of safety and a favorable cost profile. This staged approach to vulvectomy could offer improved accuracy of resection for vulvar Paget disease with few drawbacks.”

Read the whole article here!

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Save the date: Department Research Day, May 4, 2023

Please join us for several exciting research presentations at Department Research Day, coming up May 4, 2023 from 7:00-10:00am. The event will be held in 1335 HSLC.

Department Research Day will open with a keynote presentation from Genevieve Neal-Perry, MD, PhD, Robert A. Ross Distinguished Professor and Chair in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Graduating fellows Brad Bosse, MD, fellow in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Catherine Zhang, MD, fellow in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, will present their fellowship research projects. More speakers for the event will be announced soon.

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Zhang to join Division of Gynecologic Oncology faculty

The UW Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology is thrilled to announce that Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH will join the faculty in September 2023!

Dr. Zhang attended the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. While in Iowa, she also earned a Master’s in public health from the University of Iowa College of Public Health. She completed ob-gyn residency at the University of Minnesota in 2020. Dr. Zhang is currently finishing her third year of gynecologic oncology fellowship in our department.

Dr. Zhang is already a talented researcher, clinician, and educator. Her plenary presentation at the 2022 Society of Gynecologic Oncology annual meeting was chosen as one of the 50 abstracts included in the 2022 SGO Select educational package. Earlier this year, the UW SMPH Department of Medicine’s Hospice and Palliative Care fellows selected Dr. Zhang to receive their annual Humanism in Medicine Award, given to a non-palliative care member of the UW SMPH community who most embodies the attributes of compassion, collaboration, and person-centered care.

Before joining our institution, Dr. Zhang earned the Raymond J. Albrecht Award for Excellence in Clinical Care and Resident Teaching and the Leon L. Adcock Award for Medical Student Teaching at the University of Minnesota, as well as the ASCCP Best Scientific Poster Award at the 2019 ASCCP Annual Scientific Meeting.

We are confident Dr. Zhang will be an amazing addition to the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. We look forward to welcoming her to the faculty in 2023!

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Zhang earns Humanism in Medicine Award

The UW SMPH Department of Medicine’s Hospice and Palliative Care fellows recently named UW Ob-Gyn gynecologic oncology fellow Catherine Zhang, MD the 2022 recipient of their annual Humanism in Medicine Award. Congratulations, Dr. Zhang!

The Humanism in Medicine award is given to a non-palliative care member of the UW SMPH community who most embodies the attributes of compassion, collaboration, and person-centered care.

Professor and Chief of Palliative Care Toby Campbell, MD, MSCI says, “clearly, Catherine has influenced and impressed our fellows very positively.” What an incredible – and well-deserved – honor! Congratulations, Dr. Zhang!

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Zhang’s SGO presentation included in SGO Select package

Congratulations to UW Ob-Gyn gynecologic oncology fellow Catherine Zhang, MD, whose recent presentation from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting in March will be included in the SGO Select package!

Zhang presented “Beneath the Surface: Fluorescein Mapping in Vulvar Paget's Disease” at the SGO annual meeting in Phoenix. The 2022 conference program chairs selected 50 abstracts presented at the conference to include in the SGO Select package. SGO Select presentations will be available to organizations and institutions for the purpose of providing educational content and presenting a program based on the SGO Annual Meeting.

Congratulations, Dr. Zhang! We’re so proud more people around the country will benefit from your research!

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UW Ob-Gyn presentations at 2022 Society of Gynecologic Oncology conference

Members of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology, fellows and residents prepared an impressive slate of posters and presentations for the 2022 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer! Take a look at just some of the research brought to the hybrid conference, as well as the variety of service and leadership roles held by members of our department:

Ahmed Al-Niaimi, MD:

Master Class: Optimize and Operate: Enhancing Perioperative Quality, Safety, Experience, and Outcomes

Master Class: Debulk and Deliver: A Virtual Live-Streamed Master Class with Optional Hands-On Cytoreductive Surgery Lab 

Oral Plenary Presentation: Mechanical bowel preparation and post-operative renal dysfunction in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer

Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS:

Distillation: On-Demand Oral Featured Posters: Novel Therapies, PROs, and Disparities in Care

Special Interest Session: Curriculum for Emerging Clinical Trialists (Dr. Barroilhet is course director for this session)

Vice-Chair of the Patient Education Committee

Katherine Dryer, MD:

Poster: Outpatient palliative care utilization and aggressiveness of end-of-life care in women with gynecologic cancers (authors Kathryn Dryer MD, Janelle Sobecki MD, Michael Lasarev MS, Lena Law BA, Anna Stecher MD, Ellen Hartenbach MD)

Maya Gross, MD, MPH:

Poster: Risk factors associated with distress among postoperative patients in an academic gynecologic oncology practice

Ellen Hartenbach, MD:

Symposium: Wake to Wellness: Beating Burnout Through Better Patient Communication (Hartenbach presented “Mitigating Burnout Through Effective Communication Techniques”)

Palliative Medicine Committee 

Clinical Practice Committee

David Kushner, MD:

Finance Committee

Wellness Committee (Chair)

Developed two “Wake to Wellness” Sessions based on SGO Wellness Curriculum that was just published:

Managing Priorities 

Moving from Surviving to Thriving (Kushner will present as part of this session)

Senior author on Surgical Innovation presentation “Beneath the Surface: Fluorescein mapping in vulvar Paget’s Disease” given by Gyn Onc fellow Catherine Zhang, MD

Joanne Rash, PA:

Attending the SGO Board meeting (virtually), and will start her board term as the first-ever APP representative on the SGO board

Stephen Rose, MD:

Co-Chair of the Fellowship Program Directors Network and will be leading the annual meeting Thursday night. 

Hosting the UW Fellow Alumni Reception Sunday night

Senior author on Connor Wang’s study: Adaptive and maladaptive humor styles are closely associated with burnout and professional fulfillment in members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology

Shannon Rush, MD:

Poster: Hormone replacement therapy counseling at prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in high risk patients

Janelle Sobecki, MD:

Poster: Risk factors associated with distress among postoperative patients in an academic gynecologic oncology practice (Maya Gross, Sumer Wallace - Senior)

Poster: Outpatient Palliative Care Utilization and Aggressiveness of End-of-Life Care in Women with Gynecologic Cancers (Kathryn Dryer, Ellen Hartenbach – Senior)

Sumer Wallace, MD:

Serves on Policy, Quality, & Outcomes task force for the Health Policy and Socioeconomic committee

Connor Wang, MD:

Poster: Adaptive and maladaptive humor styles are closely associated with burnout and professional fulfillment in members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology

Catherine Zhang, MD:

Poster: Thromboembolic events in gynecologic cancer patients treated with chemotherapy (authors R. Zhang, MD; T. Stewart, BS; K. Tetreault, MS; R. Alexandridis, PhD; J. Bergsbaken, PharmD;  S. Wallace, MD; D. Kushner, MD;E. Hartenbach, MD)

Farr Nezhat Session Surgical Innovation Session: How Surgical Futurists are Revolutionizing Cancer Care (Zhang presented “Beneath the Surface: Fluorescein mapping in vulvar Paget’s Disease”)

Congratulations to all for these incredible achievements!

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