Program Director Statement

Thank you for your interest in our program! I am excited to share with you some facts about hematology/oncology fellowship program and background information to help inform you as much as possible in your decision-making process. Our Hematology Oncology fellowship is relatively new having gained accreditation from the ACGME in 2019, but as you will see we have much to offer to train fully competent and outstanding Hematology-Oncology physicians.

I believe that our program’s strength lies in both the abundant clinical exposure one will have during their training and with the strong research opportunities available. This stems from the diverse patient population that we see at Trinity Health Ann Arbor leading to a wealth of clinical experiences along with being the only community hospital serving Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and the surrounding counties in all directions. Our patients include those from both urban and rural locations spanning the continuum of social and economic experiences. This diversity of patients creates an ideal teaching population exposing our fellows to a variety of different disease states. Fellows gain their clinical interactions weekly in their outpatient continuity clinics (these start the first month of fellowship and continue until fellowship completion so one can follow patient’s disease course over an extended period), through participation in the multidisciplinary cancer clinics (Breast, Lung/Thoracic, Gynecologic Oncology, Head and Neck, Gastrointestinal), and on the busy inpatient Oncology consult and Classical Hematology consult service.  In order to fulfill bone marrow transplant requirements our fellows have two rotation blocks at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit. Along with this outstanding clinical exposure is our commitment to clinical trials offered to our cancer patients. Through the Michigan Cancer Research Consortium-NCORP our patients have exceptional opportunities to access major cooperative group Phase II and III clinical trials supported by a high functioning clinical trial department. This research connection not only provides our patients access to nationally accruing research trials, but also allows our fellows the opportunity to immerse themselves in all aspects of the clinical trial process.

Trinity Health Hospital was originally founded in the city of Ann Arbor in 1911 and moved its current campus location in the early 1970’s positioning itself to serve both Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti with enough geographic space to expand and grow. Although a community hospital with an array of private practices, most of these practices have coalesced into larger groups so that it is akin to an academic model. In this same vein, the GME presence within THAA has grown considerably over time with excellent administrative leadership and residency programs in Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Ob/GYN, Family Medicine, Transitional Year, Dermatology, and Surgery. Other fellowship programs are also becoming a part of the landscape in the last 5 years with Colorectal Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Infectious Disease, Addiction Medicine, Palliative Care, and Gastroenterology. This strong academic environment makes us unique and has led to a well-supported and collegial culture of learning and growth for our trainee.

More specific to the Hematology Oncology training program is the faculty within the cancer program itself. The Hematology Oncology Faculty is a made of 15 physicians who were trained at top-tier academic programs from around the country.  The non-core faculty made of members of the Gynecologic Oncology faculty (a team made of University of Michigan physicians who are based at THAA), the Palliative Care faculty, and the Radiation Oncology faculty, and the surgical subspecialty faculty also play a supportive educational role with our fellows through management of patient care as part of elective rotations, participation in tumor boards along with didactic experiences. In addition, there are ample opportunities to learn from the oncology staff made up of oncology certified nurses, clinical nurse navigators, genetic counselors, oncology specific pharmacists, nutritionists, and social workers.

The Hematology Oncology Fellowship program in its relatively short period of existence has enriched the care of our patients while at the same time elevated nearly all aspects of the cancer program. Fellows are treated with respect and given multiple opportunities to continue to help shape the best educational experience possible. We are dedicated to your successful continued training and think you will be impressed with what you find here!

Jerome D. ("Jay") Winegarden, MD 
Program Director, Hematology Oncology Fellowship Trinity Health Ann Arbor